Working Together
by Aimee1985
Summary: It was known to someone they would meet even before she was born... A 1,000 year old vampire and a what? Cant say human woman, but she is something. Can they survive their own world long enough to meet their destinies? Rated M for lemons and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone,**

****I've found a second beta called Chelle6599, she has gone over this first chapter so that is the reason for me replacing it. Sorry everyone but she is utterly fabulous so I just had to add her edited version of this first chapter! To make it up to you all chapter 2 will be posted tomorrow, 10am GMT at the latest!****

**This is my first ever story I'm writing so please forgive me if it isn't perfect! The story has been playing around in my head for a couple of months now and I finally decided to give this a try. Please let me know what you think via reviews or PM's so I know to carry on or not. Hopefully you will all enjoy it. Lets get this show on the road!**

**A huge thank you to my beta HerHighnessQueenVegeta and Chelle6599 for helping me and putting up with me lol.**

****Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I'm just playing!****

Chapter 1

It had been two months since my Gran died from her second heart attack in a year and I just couldn't bring myself to spend one more day in her house alone with only my memories of her.

My parents died when I was seven years old and my only brother, Jason, was ten. From that day forward our grandmother raised us in her pride and joy: the 100 year old farmhouse that was built by and has always been occupied by the Stackhouse family. It was left to her when my Granddaddy Mitchell died. Poor man died before his twins, Corbett (my daddy) and Linda were born. Although the house has slowly been falling into disrepair, she took it as a matter of pride to keep it as clean and tidy as possible.

Jason moved into our parent's house when he turned 18. The house had been left to us both in our parent's will, so as soon as he was old enough he moved out on his own. He still came 'round to Gran's house every other day or so for Gran's mouthwatering home cooking. But once Jason moved out it was just me and Gran.

Gran left the house to me in her will on the condition that I signed my half of my parent's house over to Jason. I had no problem doing that because I saw Gran's home as my home for nearly my whole life-not my parent's house. Now it was just too painful to stay in Gran's home without her. I am used to having her waiting up 'till she knew I was home safely from work, either puttering around the house, tidying-up and humming along with the radio, or sitting in bed reading one of her books. I would always give her a kiss good night before I settled in. Now I don't have that and it hurt me every time I came home to an empty house.

I had been extremely close to Gran. I could talk to her about anything and everything and yet she would never judge me. She always gave me the advice I needed even when it was hard for her to say and for me to hear. She was everything to me: my Gran, my mother, my father and my best friend. She was the only person who fully accepted me for who I am.

I didn't have many friends growing up. Everyone in our small town calls me "Crazy Sookie" and has done so since I was a child. You see, I'm cursed with a disability: telepathy. I can hear other people's thoughts. People thought I was crazy because I would respond to things that I heard in their heads rather than what they said aloud. I didn't realize that I was different from everyone else. It became easier to distinguish between thoughts and what was said aloud as I got older, but by then the damage was already done. Of course growing up in such a small town people never forgot what I was like and always thought of me as crazy or were scared to be around me.

Humans are always the easiest to hear. I hear complete thoughts from them and often receive pictures. Then there are shifters and were's from which I mainly get emotions unless I'm in physical contact with them. When I touch them I can get a better read from them, but even then it's mostly pictures and the odd word or sentence here and there. Most people don't even know that weres or shifters exist, but my last boss, Sam Merlotte, is a shifter. I always knew there was something different about him from his brain pattern but never dared ask what it could be.

One night after work I had asked for a private word with him and revealed the secret of my curse. I thought with him being my boss, and as close to what you could call a friend for over 5 years, I could trust him. I also needed to tell him that the new waitress he had hired had been fired from her last job for stealing money and bottles of alcohol. Even though she hadn't taken anything from Sam yet she had thought about it quite often. He immediately had a shocked look on his face when I told him and I was so scared he would think of me as "crazy Sookie" like everyone else did. I was afraid that he'd hate that I could read his thoughts so I quickly told him that his brain was different and that I couldn't get a good read on him. He then went on to tell me why he brain was so different. I was shocked at first to learn of shifters and weres but then I found comfort in it because it meant that I wasn't the only person who was different and had a secret to hide.

So here I am in a run-down bed and breakfast room in Shreveport that I can only afford to rent for two weeks at the most, hoping that I can build a new life for myself away from Bon Temps. With a little bit of luck (well, ok, a lot of luck) I will be able to find a job and a place to rent and not have to spend a full two weeks here. Thankfully they are allowing me to pay on a night by night basis rather than paying the whole two weeks upfront.

The room is just that: a single little room. It has a single bed, a small kitchen top that holds a kettle with a small refrigerator underneath, and a cupboard that has a few mugs, glasses and plates with some old cutlery. There is a door to the right of the room with a toilet, basin and shower that look like they could defiantly use a good scrub with some bleach. Seeing the room only pushes me to find a job and decent place to rent that much harder and hopefully faster. With that thought I grab my purse and car keys and head out to find a local store.

I made it back to the bed and breakfast within an hour with the local newspaper and some basics to get me over the next few days in hand. The First thing I do is dig out the coffee, sugar and milk I bought to make a nice hot cup of coffee, then dig in my purse for a pen and settle onto the bed and start underlining ads for potential jobs in the classified section of the paper. There are three possible jobs in today's paper so I take out my cell phone and ring the numbers. Two of the jobs are for waitressing positions; one is in a restaurant working dinner shifts while the other is in a small café working throughout the day. I have the experience for both because of my last job in Bon Temps working for Sam. I was a waitress at his bar and grill, appropriately named Merlotte's, and the staff used to split the morning, lunch and dinner shifts fairly since most of our wages came from tips.

When I call I find that both advertised positions have open interviews on Thursday and Friday of this week. I then make my third phone call. This Job is for a sales-assistant in a lingerie store called Aphrodite's Closet which is not very far from here. Amelia, the manager, asked me if I could make it for an interview at 5pm. I told her that would be no problem at all and we said our goodbyes.

As soon as I hung up the phone I jumped up, dug out my bag of toiletries, and went to take a shower. Once I was clean and had brushed my teeth, I went to my suitcase and dug out my black a-line pencil skirt and a fitted white blouse. Thankfully they didn't have too many creases in them so that I didn't have to iron them. I paired the outfit with my 3 inch black kitten heals. I then dried my hair, which I decided to leave loose with a few curls to give it some height, and applied minimal makeup to convey a natural look. Once I was happy with my appearance I filled the kettle to make some ramen noodles for dinner. I know it's not very healthy but in a bed and breakfast with only a microwave or kettle I wasn't left with much choice but to go with what was easy.

I arrived for my interview ten minutes early and took a look around the store while Amelia was busy closing up. She looks to be around 26, the same age as me, has shoulder-length dark brown hair with a slight red tinge to it and bright blue eyes. Once the store was empty and the front door was locked Amelia made us both a cup of coffee and we sat on the sofa located beside the changing rooms to start the interview. Amelia explained that the job had been in the newspaper for the last three days and that I was the first person to show for an interview. This was a good sign if you ask me since I needed a job so badly. She asked me about previous jobs and what experience I had and I explained that while I hadn't worked in sales before, I do have good people skills from working in a bar for so many years. I also explained that I handled the cashing up when I was on the closing shift at Merlotte's, so she would know that handling cash wouldn't be a problem for me.

We seemed to click right from the start and conversation was relaxed and easy flowing. We had an instant rapport. At the end of the interview she told me I had the job if I wanted it, to which I of course answered with a definite yes! She asked when I could start to which I replied that I could start tomorrow.

Amelia explained that the hours of the position were 7pm 'till 12am because the shop kept later hours ever since vampires had come out of the coffin. Aphrodite's Closet stayed open late like a lot of businesses in the hopes of gaining the extra business from vamps, which I had no problem with since I was used to late shifts at the bar anyway. The only reason it closed at five today was because they were short staffed. Amelia and I would actually be working the same hours, which I was extremely happy about because I had a feeling we would become great friends. She seems like one of those people who always has a smile on her face. I "heard" that she also felt that we would get on well because she thought I was sweet and easy going.

Amelia had been working this shift alone since the last employee quit to tour different countries with her partner before they settled down to buy a house and start a family. She was desperate for someone to work nights with her because the boredom that engulfed her when it was quiet drove her crazy. I can understand that as she is a friendly, happy person and is much better suited to be around people and chatting. She felt she would have at least have someone to chat with when it was quiet now that I had taken the job.

By the time I was in my car on my way back to the bed and breakfast I started to feel as if my life was turning around and I was feeling optimistic about my future. I was finally beginning to move forward for the first time since Gran had died. With that thought I turned up the radio and sang along to a cheesy song at the top of my voice. Thank God I had my window's up because if anyone actually heard me sing they would think there was a cat being strangled somewhere.

Once back I was back in my room I realized I hadn't phoned Jason yet to let him know I had arrived safely and found a place to stay. So I dug out my cell phone and rang his number to check in and tell him the good news. He answered on the third ring saying "Hey Sis, I was getting worried because you hadn't rang yet. I tried ringing you about an hour ago, but you must have had your cell turned off. If I had to wait much longer and I would have come to search for you in person!"

Hearing the concern in his voice made me feel guilty for making him worry about me, so I quickly replied, "Oh Jason I'm so sorry I forgot all about ringing you. Things have been a little hectic here. Once I got myself a room in a bed and breakfast I went out to grab a newspaper and some groceries and got right into looking for a job."

Laughing slightly he said "No hanging around for you is there Sooks. You know that you could have waited till tomorrow so you could get settled before you started to look for a job"

"I know that was what I had planed but once I got here I still had time to ring around and I'm glad I did because I start work tomorrow! I just got back from an interview at a lingerie store." I replied the excitement clearly evident in my voice. I was also a little proud of myself for finding a job so soon. I thought it would be at least a week before I could start anywhere. I guess luck was on my side today.

"Oh Sookie that's really great!" He enthused. "I'm so pleased you sound so happy even if you are further away. I'm sure gonna miss coming around and seeing you so often but if being in Shreveport makes you happy then I guess it's worth it."

"Jason I really am happy, I have a really good feeling my life is heading in the right direction and I'm only a short drive away from you. Once I have my own place you can visit any time you like and I'm sure to be in Bon Temps often to see you! Anyway, I will let you go Jason. I just wanted you to know that I'm ok"

"Yeah ok. You make sure to ring me once you found somewhere to rent and if you need a handy man, you just let me know and I'll come help you with repairs or with the garden. I love you Sook. See ya later!"

I could hear the sincerity in his voice and it was nice to know I still had my big brother. He was the only close family I had left and after Gran died we had been each other's rock. Other than my cousin Hadley who I haven't seen or heard from in years, our only other living relative is my uncle Bartlett who I truly hope I never see or hear from again as long as I live. It's not really a story I want to get into, but he's one of them people who have hurt others so bad you just don't care what happens to them. My feelings are even worse towards him...I may actually wish him harm.

"I will Jason thanks. I love you too. Bye" With that we hung up and I looked at my watch to see that it was nearly 8pm and I was shocked that it was getting so late.

I knew I had nowhere else to go for the night so I washed off my make-up, brushed my teeth, tied my hair into a ponytail, got comfortable in my cotton nightgown and lay in bed reading the newspaper and the new romance novel that Jason bought me for my last birthday. By 11pm I could feel my eye lids getting heavy so I put my book and newspaper to one side and got up to turn the light out. I fell asleep with a smile on my face looking forward to the next day for the first time in two months.

I awoke in the morning at 8am feeling very stiff from sleeping in a strange bed. It is nowhere near as comfortable as the one back home. Standing up and stretching to my full height helped relax my muscles a lot, but what helped the most was the nice long hot shower I took. Once out of the shower I followed my morning routine of brushing my teeth and then drying my hair which I decided to just tie up in a loose ponytail for today. I applied light makeup and dug my favorite pair of jeans (which hug my curves nicely), a simple spaghetti strap white vest top and my denim jacket from my suitcase. Once I was ready I headed downstairs to the dining room for my breakfast. I must say I was defiantly ready for a full breakfast as I had only had noodles yesterday for dinner. I was served a hot cup of coffee, which I was thankful for because I can't function until I've had my caffeine. Not long after I was given my breakfast of two poached eggs, bacon and sausage, and a side serving of toast with butter and jam. I enjoyed my breakfast immensely, and then washed it all down with a refreshing cold glass of orange juice.

After I finished my breakfast I went back to my room to leave my jacket behind since it was sunny and warm, and I collected my purse and cell phone. I decided to take a walk around the park that was only a couple of blocks away from the bed and breakfast to kill some time until I had to get ready for work. Once in the park I sat on a bench to enjoy the feel of the sun's warm rays on my skin and to watch people pass by as they went about their day. There were parents letting kids run around or kick a football and they seemed to be having so much fun. I must have sat there for about two hours content and relaxed when I decided I should find somewhere to grab lunch before I needed to get back home to have a nap before work.

I found a nice little café just across the road from the park gates and was shown to a table by the window, overlooking the park. The waitress took my drink order of ice tea and left me to peruse the lunch menu. By the time she returned with my drink I had decided to order a chicken salad. While I waited for my lunch, I just sat gazing out the window thinking of the possibilities of my new life. When I was finished I settled my tab making sure to leave a tip and made my way back to the bed and breakfast. I changed into my nightgown and set the alarm on my cell for 4pm which would give me 3 hours to sleep before I needed to get ready. It must have taken me a good hour to finally get to sleep because I wasn't very tired, but felt I really should at least try and get some rest before work.

When the alarm went off I was disorientated for a minute but soon realized where I was and that I needed to get up to get showered and dressed. Once I had showered and dried my hair I looked through the clothes I had with me and choose to wear a pair of chocolate colored slacks with a cream satin halter-neck top that showed my cleavage off nicely and a pair of sensible cream pumps with two inch heels. I styled my hair in a French twist up-do, pinning it in place with bobby pins and applied my make-up in a soft, smoky look. When I had applied my perfume I grabbed my clutch bag, put my cell, cash and lip gloss in and quickly made a sandwich to have for dinner on my break. I then went out to my car and started the drive to work.

By the time I pulled into the parking lot I had to calm myself a little because I was getting that nervous feeling you get on your first day at school. I reapplied my lip gloss, put my "Crazy Sookie" smile on my face to hide my nerves, and entered Aphrodite's closet. As soon as I entered I got a big smile and a wave from Amelia who told me that she would be with me as soon she was finished helping a customer. I went through the staff door into the back office and put my bag in the cupboard that Amelia had showed me yesterday, and then headed to the front of the store again.

"Hey Sookie, it's good to see you." Amelia said.

"You too Amelia. I'm excited to learn the ropes and get started, even if I am a little nervous." I said with a genuine smile. It's hard not to have a genuine smile around Amelia.

"Well let's get you started! You have nothing to be nervous about. I will show you where we keep stock and how to use the till and I'm sure you will pick it all up right away."

She went on to explain everything I needed to know about the job and what I should and shouldn't do, and before I knew it I had my first customer. Everything went smoothly and I gradually relaxed into my new job and was really enjoying it. When things were quiet Amelia and I would chat about our lives and she told me how she had moved from New Orleans a couple of years ago for a change of scenery. But then I heard from her head that she felt the need to move away because her dad always smothered her and wanted her to work for him when she really didn't want to do so. In the end she told him she was moving to Shreveport to spread her wings and grow up to be her own woman. He hadn't taken the news well but had finally come around and they were back on speaking terms before the move actually happened. Amelia was loving living in Shreveport, not constantly feeling under the watch of her father's eye, and being free to do as she pleased. She was truly happy.

I told her about my life back in Bon Temps up (leaving out my telepathy), and then my reasons for moving here.

"So do you live far from work then, Sookie?" Amelia asked once our latest customers had left.

I blushed a little feeling embarrassed that I didn't even have a home here yet but replied truthfully. "Well, I'm actually looking for somewhere to rent. I only got here yesterday, then seen the job advertised in the local paper. At the minute I'm just staying in a bed and breakfast."

With that a customer came in who I went to help and Amelia seemed to go quiet as if she was thinking hard about something so I stayed out of her head to give her some privacy. About five minutes later when I returned to her side after helping the customer she turned to me with a huge smile on her face.

"Why don't you move in with me? I have plenty of room...my house is much too big for only me." Amelia said, and no matter how hard I had my shields in place, she was broadcasting so loudly that I couldn't help but hear her thoughts. She was truly excited with the idea. She was thinking "wow wouldn't it be cool to have a roomie? Especially one I worked the same hours with! We could even car pool to work. I sure am lonely living alone and Sookie seems genuinely nice. We could have movie nights when we're not at work...she would be the sister I never had!"

"Amelia, are you sure?" I answered. "You hardly know me! I mean, I don't mean to sound ungrateful; I would love to live with you! Heck, I already feel like I've known you for months not just two days." I stated totally stunned at her wonderful offer.

Amelia looked a little hurt until I said I would love to live with her. And then I saw the smile return as soon as the words had left my mouth. "Sookie if I wasn't sure I wouldn't have offered it. I feel exactly the same. Yesterday when we met I felt like we just clicked. It would get you out of that bed and breakfast and I wouldn't be so lonely living alone. My dad bought me the house so there wouldn't be any rent to pay. We could just split the bills and share the chores. I'm sure it would be great!" I could see the hope in her eyes and feel the sincerity of her offer when she spoke and I just couldn't refuse. It would be better than where I was now and cheaper than renting my own place. It would also be fabulous to have a friend in a place where I know absolutely no one.

"Well, if you're sure I'd absolutely love to move in with you!" No sooner than the words left my mouth Amelia's arms were wrapped around me and she was jumping on the spot squealing like a child on Christmas morning. After a split second of shock had passed, I quickly wrapped my arms around her and joined in the excitement. My mood soon soured as a thought went through my mind. Amelia took a step back and looked at my face and said, "Sookie what's wrong, you look like you have seen a ghost."

Unsure of how to tell her about my curse, I just blurted it out as fast as I could. "Amelia I need to tell you a secret about myself, something that I have only ever told two people." She just looked at me calmly, waiting for me to continue. I could hear all the possibilities running through her mind, "Does she snore? Sleepwalk maybe? No it must be something more serious by the look on her face… she couldn't be a transvestite could she? No she is to pretty and feminine and those tits are defiantly real. My god she isn't on the run from the police is she? Or maybe people are after her and that's why she only got here yesterday and needs a job so quick!" All these thoughts ran through her head so fast it was almost hard to keep up.

Taking a deep breath I said "I'm telepathic; I can hear people's thoughts." There I said it! Hopefully she wouldn't think of me as a freak like most other people who suspect that I'm different do.

Then she surprised me as she thought at me "Can you hear me now?" I just nodded. Then she thought at me "I have a secret too." I just had a confused look on my face when she thought at me "I'm a witch." I must have looked shocked because then she said out loud. "OH Sookie! Please don't hate me! I'm not evil, and I'm not like what you hear in story books!" I could tell it was the truth from her mind and that she was genuinely worried that I would hate her. Now it was my turn to throw my arms around her, I just hugged her tight and told her I didn't hate her and she hugged me back. She then said how cool it must be to hear what people thought and when customers had come and gone from the shop, she would ask what they were thinking. I was just so happy she took my secret so well so that I went along with her little game. There were no negative thoughts at all; she also realized right away how important it is that she keeps my secret to herself and I was very grateful. Soon enough our shift was coming to an end and she told me I could move in tomorrow if I wanted. I, of course, said how great that would be and told her that I would be there as soon as I finished my breakfast and packing. She wrote her address down and gave me her cell number in case I got lost, and then we finished closing up and went our separate ways.

The next day I woke at 9am, ran through my normal morning routine as fast as I could because I was excited to get to Amelia's, and headed down to the dining room for breakfast. I chose a cup of coffee, pancakes with syrup, and a glass of orange juice today all of which I enjoyed very much. As soon as I was done in the dining room I went up my room to pack my suitcase then sign out of the God-awful bed and breakfast. Once I stowed my suitcase in the trunk of my car I got my map of Shreveport out and looked up Amelia's address.

I'm glad Amelia warned me that the turn-off for her place was discreet otherwise I may have driven right past it. Once I made the turn I drove about 25 yards before I came to two large iron gates with an intercom system. Amelia answered when I pressed the call button and buzzed me through the gates. I went up the rest of the driveway and was surprised by how much land Amelia had. I pulled up in front of a beautiful and charming farm house, got out of my car, grabbed my suitcase and made my way up to the front door where Amelia was waiting. She asked if I needed help with my bags, but I told her all I had with me was my one suitcase. I had left the majority of my possessions in Bon Temps until I found somewhere to settle and would go and collect them over the next few days.

Amelia invited me into my "new home" as she put it, and I walked into a very welcoming and spacious reception hall. When she was giving me the tour she explained,

"My dad gave me this house. He works in construction and bought this to renovate and rent out, but once I told him that Shreveport was where I had decided to move he said he had the perfect house for me. He was right because it is as if this house was built for me! I love it! It's my dream home. It's even more perfect now I have a roomie to share it with!" She said with a proud smile.

"I can see what you mean by a perfect home Amelia! It's absolutely beautiful." I replied.

And beautiful it is! The living area has a relaxing and homey feel to it with a fabulous open log fireplace and two huge sofas with scatter cushions that just yelled out to be snuggled on with Gran's afghan and a big bucket of popcorn while we watch movies all night. I'm sure me and Amelia will do a lot in the future. The kitchen is very modern with all the top-of-the-line appliances and gadgets in stainless steel that you could imagine. The kitchen counter tops are made of black marble as is the tiling on the floor. All the kitchen cabinets are white open grain to finish the contemporary look. The dining room is very elegant and holds a large conservative dining table with enough room to sit ten people. There is another wonderful open fireplace in the dining room that would surely give off a delightful glow for ambiance and a lovely view of Amelia's garden, of which I can see she takes very good care.

The upstairs features three bedrooms, each decorated differently but all with a light and airy feel and a walk in closet. Each bedroom also features an ensuit bathroom. There is another bathroom in the hallway and a small room that could be a bedroom, but Amelia uses that as an extra storage room. Obviously Amelia has the master bedroom but told me I was welcome to choose which room I'd prefer from the others. I decided to take the room at the back overlooking the garden which would get the most natural light from the sun. The room was appointed with soft colors' and delicate textures with lots of flowers which evoked a soft and dreamy ambience. The room holds a queen size four poster bed with a white canopy. The ensuit features an enormous free-standing claw foot bath tub, big enough to easily fit two people, in the middle of the room. There is also a double shower cubicle in the corner and a toilet and basin along the right wall. Once I had chosen which room I was taking Amelia left me to get settled in while she went down to the kitchen to make us some lunch.

By the time I had put my clothes away, organized my toiletries in the bathroom and returned to the kitchen, Amelia was just finishing up making grilled chicken Caesar salad. While she was doing that I poured us both a glass of apple juice and we sat down to eat lunch. Conversation ran easy and we spoke about chores and bills and how we would split them. Once we were done eating I cleaned away our dishes and wiped down the surfaces as that was one thing we agreed on; who ever cooks the other cleans away. After lunch we went out to the garden and Amelia showed me around. Her garden is beautiful with lots of flowers and a part that is fenced off where she has a vegetable patch and herb garden. She told me that a lot of the herbs that she grows are for use in spells when using her magic. I was fascinated when she was explaining the different things she could do with them. I was blown away by the view when she led me to the far end of her land. You could see for miles overlooking Cross Lake. It looked amazing with the sun reflecting off of the surface. I would defiantly be bringing a fold away chair down here with my book to read in the very near future.

We made our way back to the house and I washed what laundry I had and the sheets from my bed to freshen them up because Amelia said she hadn't washed them in the last month or so. The bed hadn't been slept in but it still isn't the same if they are not fresh. Once I had everything done, Amelia and I went to our separate rooms to get ready for work. We decided that we might as well just use one car to get to work since we would be working the same nights and hours. Starting today Amelia would take us in her car for the rest of this week and I would take us the following week. We decided to rotate that responsibility on a weekly basis.

Not much later we pulled into the car park at work and went in to relieve the day shift workers. We were pretty quiet for the first couple of hours, but then something happened that gave me the biggest shock of my life! It was a pleasant and scary shock all at the same time. I met a void! By a void I mean someone whose mind had no noise… no thoughts... no emotions… nothing! Well except for an impression of age. At least I think that's what it was. That was very strange indeed as this was a whole new feeling: something I've never experienced before. That's how I knew that this person must be a vampire. I've never met a vampire before, what with me living my whole life in a small backwater town like Bon Temps. There really isn't anything in Bon Temps that would draw anyone, be it vampire or human, unless of course people from out of town come to visit family. Even then most the locals know everyone's family and friends and none have ever been vampires.

Amelia was already dealing with a customer so I had all of a few seconds to school my face from the shocked expression that I was sure I was wearing to a welcoming smile, but the best I could do was my Crazy Sookie smile. Luckily I have plenty of practice at not showing emotions because of the rude and obnoxious thoughts of the bar patrons at Merlotte's when I worked as a waitress. It is pretty hard to smile and be nice when all you want to do is hit the guy in front of you over the head with your tray for thinking disgusting things about your body, what he would like to do to your body, or even what he would like to watch his wife doing to your body. Yep more than five years of experiencing that kind of thing gives you enough time to learn how to control facial expressions, so thankfully I don't think this vampire noticed my reaction. Giving myself a little mental shake to clear my thoughts I walked over to greet my newest customer.

"Hello there, I'm Sookie. Can I be of any assistance tonight?" I asked with what I hoped was a friendly tone.

Eyeing me up and down carefully (which made my insides shiver) the vampire replied "I'm sure you could, but not in the way you mean… for now I will just browse around and see what you have here."

Well the way I was looked at seemed so rude, so I took what was said to be my signal to leave the vampire to her own devices and I went over to Amelia who was behind the sales desk. I gave her a look that I hoped said "Holy cow! That's a vampire!" while glancing over to where the vampire was standing. Amelia did pick up what I was trying to say, and I'm sure she recognized the little apprehension that was in my eyes because she replied mentally, "It's ok Sookie, just act normal around vamps, and try not to show any fear because they can smell it and it turns them on." I guess she knew this was the first vampire I had ever met and she had a smirk on her lips. I actually snorted at what she said which I tried to disguise as a cough and she went on thinking to me "they have amazing hearing also so that's why I'm saying this mentally. Once the shop is empty I will bring you up to date on the dos and don'ts of vampire ways. Sorry, I should of explained it all to you before your first shift."

As it turned out the vampire choose a couple of very sexy lingerie sets, paid and left without so much of even a thank you, which I thought wasn't very polite at all. Manners are a big thing to me because they were always something Gran made sure I used. She used to say "Manners don't cost a thing so use them freely."

When the store was quiet Amelia explained that vampires don't do things like shaking hands or smile often. They don't feel the need to be very friendly or polite, so they rarely have conversations when they come in and prefer to just be left to shop without assistance. She said the best way to assist them is to welcome them and let them know you can help if needed, but that nine times out of ten they prefer to be left alone. I told Amelia how I couldn't hear the vampire's thoughts as well as how amazing it felt. She informed me that it was a very good thing because if I could hear them it could put me in a lot of danger. She told me that they are very secretive about their ways, which when I thought about it, I understood. After all, they have hiding from humans for who-knows how many hundreds of years and I'm sure that would be a hard habit to break. Once our shift was over we went back home had a light supper with a hot chocolate. I then went straight to bed because I was practically falling asleep on my feet.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Amelia and I really bonded and found that we had quite a lot in common. She loved to lie out in the sun and tan nearly as much as I did, so we did that as often as possible when the weather permitted. She was fond of reading but she wasn't into romance novels like I was: she read a lot of her spell books and did research on the internet. I told Amelia I didn't have a clue how to use a computer or the internet and she promised to teach me one day.

When she was practicing her magic I would watch with much fascination and she was always patient with me, explaining what the different ingredients she was using in her spells were and why they were needed. She told me about her mentor and teacher, Octavia Fant, who was a witch from New Orleans. Octavia taught her just about all she knew about magic in the years they had spent together before Amelia moved to Shreveport. They still kept in regular contact by telephone or email, and Octavia would often send Amelia new spell books or copies of the spells she created. I could tell from Amelia's thoughts that she looked up to and respected Octavia; she was almost as close to her as I had been with Gran.

I had been back to Bon Temps a couple of times to get the rest of my clothes and personal items such as Gran's jewelry and the family photo albums. I went to visit Sam at the bar to see how he was doing and saw a few of the regulars. Everyone seemed to be more relaxed around me now that they didn't see me on a day to day basis. I couldn't really blame them because I think I would be uncomfortable around someone who knew all my secrets without being told them. I'd seen Jason each time I had been in Bon Temps and he had also come to visit me in Shreveport. He came over for dinner and was impressed by Amelia's house. He was very happy to see me moving on with my life. Jason and Amelia got on really good and she told him he was welcome any time because it was now my home as well. I was surprised to hear her say that so easily, but when I thought about it, it really was my home now. I never thought I would see somewhere else as my home when I left the farmhouse in Bon Temps, just somewhere I lived, but I truly did feel at home here.

I thought about renting my farmhouse out to make some extra cash, but even though it wasn't my home anymore I didn't want just any Tom, Dick or Harry moving in, and I defiantly didn't want to sell it. On my latest visit to Bon Temps I'd seen Hoyt Fortenberry, Jason's childhood friend, and he told me that he and his girlfriend Holly Cleary were looking for a place to rent. It felt right to rent them my farmhouse because I had known Hoyt most of my life and knew he would take good care of it. He had been at Gran's farmhouse a lot as a child playing and sleeping over and has always been very sweet natured. I never picked up any hatred or nastiness from his thoughts.

I explained to him that I still had a lot of belongings there that I didn't want to get rid of but didn't have the room to store in Shreveport and that I would have to store it all in the attic. He had no problem with this and said 3 bedrooms was enough room for him and Holly. So I now have two incomes which help a lot because Amelia has a love for shopping and always talks me into going along with her. I had never had a lot of spare cash with it being only me and Gran for so long. We used to just make ends meet when it came to bills, groceries and property taxes, so I've never had the cash to splash on nice new clothes and accessories. Now with the rent from the farmhouse and my wages from Aphrodite's Closet I have been enjoying the ability to treat myself to new things.

I was now fully trained on my job and knew the ins and outs of everything there was to know about it. Amelia even taught me about all the suppliers they used and how to place orders. There had been quite a few vampires in the shop and I had become accustomed to just greeting them and letting them know I was there to help if they needed any assistance. I found that Amelia was defiantly right when she told me that most won't want my help and that they prefer to look for themselves. I didn't think vampires were especially rude and impolite now because I had learnt that the way they greeted and say goodbye to others was a small nod of the head. I think I must of just missed that when I had met my first vampire because I now notice that most do at least nod to me. Most vampires don't speak much except for the occasional reply if I ask how they're doing, or a polite "No thank you." when I offer assistance. Vampires are defiantly not ones for making small talk that's for sure.

Amelia had become fond of one of the vampire customers who came in about once a week since I had started working. I noticed as soon as the lady walked in that Amelia was instantly attracted to her. She was very petite with long, perfectly straight honey blonde hair and blue eyes. Her eye makeup was very dark, and she had blood red lipstick on. She was dressed in a smokin' hot black PVC mini dress with a low cut neckline and extremely short skirt with lace up sides, which was revealing a lot of naked flesh. She had completed her outfit with a pair of thigh-high black PVC boots that had what looked like at least a 6 inch heel. From what I could tell with my new skill she seemed to be around 300 years old.

She looked very intimidating to me. Once she noticed Amelia gaping at her she gave Amelia a smile showing a hint of fang which if going by Amelia's thoughts was a huge turn on. We had both been pleasantly surprised by how much chattier she was compared to other vampires, but she still wasn't as chatty as our normal human customers.

Over the course of a few visits to the store we found out she was called Pam and that she was co-owner of a bar called Fangtasia that was located just down the block from the store. That explained her outfits which were always made of tight fitting leather or PVC in colors of black or deep red. Amelia and I had both heard of Fangtasia but neither of has had ever been there. Most of the customers there tended to be what people referred to as "fangbangers": people who believed that vamps all loved the gothic/punk look like the clothes Pam wore and hoped to have sex with and be bitten by a vampire. The other customers were the tourists who visited the bar for their chance to see real vampires and "live on the wild side".

I noticed quickly that Amelia always tried to serve Pam so that she could talk to her more. Well I wouldn't really call it talk… they were constantly flirting with each other. But it never went any further than flirting, so I always stayed back when she came in so Amelia could greet her.

It's now Monday night and Amelia and I are once again at work. It's a normal night with the usual amount of foot traffic when Pam walks in looking vastly different than she usually does. She was now dressed like your typical young suburban housewife, she must of only been 21 or so when she was made vampire, she was dressed in a beautifully tailored pant suit which was a very pale pink with a cream blouse under the boyfriend style jacket and finished with a pair of cream 3 inch open toe heals with a sling back fastening. It wasn't until Pam sniggered that I realized that Amelia and I were both standing with our mouths wide open and our eyes as wide as saucers. I swear I could faintly hear my Gran's voice in the back of my mind harshly whispering "Sookie! It's rude to stare like that. Close your mouth or you're gonna catch flies!"

I was the first to pull myself together, so with an awkward, shy smile I said "Oh Pam, I'm sorry! It's just a surprise to see you dressed so differently. You look fabulous by the way!" Once Amelia had stuttered a couple of times she was finally able to tell Pam that she thought she looked amazing. Pam then asked Amelia for a private word. As they walked off to the corner I just barely kept the look of surprise from creeping back on my face. On her way back out Pam looked very pleased with herself and said how it was good to see me and she would see me another night. Amelia then came over looking equally as pleased as Pam and told me that Pam had asked her to go out with her next Monday night. Apparently Fangtasia was closed on Mondays and it was Pam's only night off from work. Amelia had sweetly told Pam that would be nice and now she was extremely excited, wondering what to wear and where they would be going.

**Chapter 2 is nearly done!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is chapter 2 for you all too hopefully enjoy. **

**A huge shout-out to my beta for this chapter Chelle6599! She does some amazing work on my story and it wouldn't be so good without her.**

**Chapter 3 will hopefully be done within a week of posting this. Thank you to all reviewer's you really do help me write faster. I'm stunned by the attention my first chapter received! A lot of people have it set on alert and favorites so I guess I will get on with the show and start chapter 3.**

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I'm just playing!**

Chapter 2

Over the course of the next week things went on as usual. Going to work, sunbathing by the lake, shopping (for Amelia's date outfit) and we had Jason over again for lunch on Thursday. While we were working on Sunday night Pam came into the shop to ask Amelia out to dinner the next night. There was a restaurant that catered to both humans and vampires on the other side of Shreveport that she had heard great things about. Amelia gave Pam our home address so that she could pick her up the next evening and was giddy the rest of the night.

Amelia wanted to have one of the day shift workers cover for her while she was on her date but I told her that I would be fine working by myself for one night. I knew how to do everything now and it wasn't like we were working at a bar or restaurant where customers needed to be tended to constantly.

I woke up quite late today; at about midday if the sound of Amelia singing along to the radio is any indication. I had a quick shower and got myself dressed before I made my way down stairs. Amelia greeted me with fresh coffee which I appreciate to no end. I can't function without my caffeine when I first wake.

As I looked around I realized that Amelia must have been up for hours. She'd cleaned the house from top to bottom (apart from my room of course) and I'd be willing to bet that she swept the porches as well. She said cleaning helped her calm down when she was nervous and boy was she nervous about tonight.

Her mind ran wild through what seemed like a million things at once; what she was going to wear, how she was planning to do her hair and makeup, what time she needed to start getting ready, and heaps of other really random things.

I took a deep breath and focused on reinforcing my shields to block out her thoughts, otherwise trying to keep up with all her thoughts would surely give me a headache.

Once I finished my coffee I decided to make us some lunch. I made turkey sandwiches and a tossed salad and poured us both a glass of refreshing tropical fruit juice. While we were eating I suggested that we go outside and catch some sun. Amelia quickly agreed because she thought it would be nice to be a little extra tan for her big date.

Once the kitchen was cleared I went to my bedroom, put on my bikini, grabbed my sunglasses, tanning oil and a book then headed down to wait for Amelia. We took the fold away chairs that were stored in the laundry room and walked the property to sit by the lake. It was a glorious afternoon so we enjoyed reading and chatting for a few hours before heading back inside so that Amelia could start getting dressed for her date and I could get ready for work.

It didn't take me long to get ready. I didn't need a lot of makeup as I had a nice glow to my skin from the time we spent in sun the today. When I was ready I went to check in with Amelia. She looked very pretty; she had gone for soft neutral colors for her makeup and had left her hair down and straightened it. She was still in her bath robe so that she didn't mess up her dress by putting it on too early, but she took it out of the closet to show me. It was a knee length sky blue dress with spaghetti straps and a low cut back. It had rouching detail on the waistband and a skirt that is very flattering for her figure. It was very elegant but not to over the top for a local restaurant. She chose to finish the outfit with some costume jewelry and a pair of silver high heels. I told her to stop worrying because she already looked fabulous and would look even better once she put the finishing touches to herself and was in her dress. Unfortunately I had to leave for work and didn't get to see the whole look put together before Pam came to pick her up.

I pulled into the parking lot at work, applied my lip-gloss and made my way into the store to allow the day shift workers to go home. My shift seemed to go on forever. It was so boring without having Amelia to chat with when there were no customers. I had tidied all the racks of lingerie, polished the surfaces and even vacuumed the floor in between serving customers but I found I still had a couple of hours left of my shift. I now understand why Amelia had been so desperate to find someone to work the night shift with her. In the last 2 hours of my shift I had a few customers (vampire, humans and Were) but other than that I just sat and twiddled my thumbs out of sheer boredom.

Finally at midnight I locked the front door to stop anymore customers entering and flipped the sign to "closed". I went over to the casher desk, counted the night's take then stowed it away in the safe in the back. As soon as all that was done I grabbed my coat and purse from the office and headed out the door to close the store and head home.

As I was locking the door I picked up a brain signal about 30 feet behind me and I immediately dug in my purse for my key-chain pepper spray. His mind stunned me. I've been in a lot of scary heads, but this guy was literally the most demented I've ever come across! The first thing I saw in his head was myself; he was looking at me from behind and his eyes were _mainly_ focused on my purse and he was hoping that I would have a large amount of cash on me. He thought that maybe if he was lucky I would have the day's take from the store. He had watched me through the store window when I was cashing out the register and saw that I was alone. He drew his baseball bat from his bag to knock me out with before I could get a look at him.

The frightening part was that he wanted the cash to buy black market vampire blood: highly illegal and extremely addictive. He didn't care who he hurt or what he had to do to get it; he was well pathetically addicted to it. He thought himself as part vampire, a gift from drinking the blood; convinced it helped him transcend humanity...he was more than human, more than vampire. Like I said...Crazy! He was thinking he could attack me to take my purse and if I didn't have enough cash to satisfy him he was going to actually bite me. He was convinced that if he didn't get blood soon he was going to die, so he was thinking my blood might tide him over until he got the "good stuff". He would go looking for a vampire if he had to.

He thought about the thick silver chain, drainage bags and stake he always carried in his bag just in case he happened upon a lone vampire. He knew he would have no problem overpowering a vampire, his conceit told him he was more.

He was slowly moving towards me as I pulled my keys from my bag. Thank God I had been working alone so my shields were relaxed and I sensed him immediately. As he edged closer I continued to listen for his first move while I locked the shop door.

I was shoving the shop keys in my purse and he was now about 15 feet behind me. I needed to wait till he was at least 8 feet from me for the pepper spray to have the full effect. He took the last few steps and just as he prepared to swing his arm back to put some force behind the bat he would hit me with I spun 180 degrees and shot the pepper spray straight into his face. He started wailing from the pain and dropped the bat to rub his eyes humorously making his pain much worse. I snatched up the bat and hit him on the back of his knees, forcing him to the ground. He finally realized that rubbing his eyes wasn't helping and had decided to scream at me instead.

"What the fuck have you done to me woman?" he screamed angrily.

"Uh...stopped you from attacking me you idiot! How dare you have the audacity to attack me then ask what I've done to you?" I yelled in indignation.

He actually thought that I was in the wrong! This man is seriously delusional, and to be honest I don't think he heard me through the sounds of his own screaming anyway.

I'm suddenly thankful that me and Tara, my best friend from school, were so obsessed with keeping fit about 3 years ago that we added a self defense course at the community centre to our workout routine. I kept my head and didn't panic like they said and I felt good that I knew counter-attack moves since I found myself in this situation.

All of a sudden the man was startin' to try to stand and I hit him again with the bat, this time on his upper right torso. He fell back to the ground and I warned him not to move again or I'd hit him again, harder, in his family jewels. I didn't want him gettin' back up because he was a large, muscular man that could do some damage even with his eyesight impaired. He looked to be around 28 and I knew if he managed to grab me, he would definitely overpower me.

"Fuckin' Bitch! You're gonna' pay for this!" He screeched at me.

I raised the bat in warning and told him to shut up to give myself a minute to think of my next move.

I was so angry at him for trying to attack me that I wanted to kill the guy, especially now that he was replaying other attacks in his mind. He hurt so many people so badly and killed innumerable vampires all for cash or blood. I felt the bile rise in my throat but managed to keep a hold of myself, breathing deep to calm my stomach.

No way was I actually capable of killing him. It's one thing feeling angry enough to do it but physically I knew there was no way I could go through with it. Logic and faith forbade it. I didn't really want to call the police because then I would have to fashion my story to avoid explaining how I knew he was behind me and how got the better of him. My telepathy needed to remain a secret, not that they would believe me anyway. But what choice did I have but to call the police and pray that I kept my lies straight? As quickly as these thoughts crossed my mind two figures appeared out of the shadows.

From a quick mental check I could tell from the void of their brains that they were vampires. The smaller of the two looked to be just less than six feet tall, about 5'10" and he had shaggy dark brown hair with long sideburns, making him look very old fashioned. He had a moody but very sexy look about him. His eyes were even darker than his hair and he was very pale which, of course, was normal for all vampires. He wore brown slacks and an ivory button up shirt with a pair of dark brown dress shoes. With my new skill I sensed that this vampire must be around 150 years old.

The second vampire was taller than the first and stood at about 6'5". He was very well built with broad shoulders, muscular arms and a narrow waist. His hair was long, straight and blonde, falling just past his shoulders. His eyes were a beautiful sapphire blue and I could almost see the years he had lived through them. I got the impression that he was at least 1000 years old which I couldn't quite believe. He was clad all in black with a tight fitting pair of black jeans and a black leather vest and he finished his outfit with black motorcycle boots.

He was extremely handsome, the kind of handsome romantic heroes are made of, and he absolutely radiated supremacy. I guess to most people he would look extremely intimidating but for some reason I felt no fear of him or of the dark haired vampire for that matter.

Although I felt no fear of the two vampires, my would-be attacker was still shouting obstinacies at me so I held my stance with the pepper spray and bat.

As the vampires moved closer I could make out the look on their faces. The dark haired vampire's face was blank, showing no emotion at all. The blond vampire was a different story altogether. He had a look of amusement on his face with a smirk dancing across his lips and a glitter in his eyes.

The blonde vampire spoke first stating lightly, "Well isn't this interesting?" while looking between me and my would-be attacker, not hesitating to show his amusement in his voice or on his face.

"Interesting? Are you kidding me? This..." I said waving my arms back and forth from me to the screaming man who was still on the floor. "Is anything BUT interesting. This man tried to rob me of my cash to buy vampire blood, which I might add he is addicted to!" I growled sounding rather angry. I figured I had every right to be angry. The jack ass attacked me! And now this vampire thought it was interesting…

Simultaneously both vampires dropped their fangs and hissed at the guy on the ground. He immediately started crying, insisting that I was a liar and he wasn't addicted to V. He rambled on, desperately claiming that he never touched vampire blood and was all for vampire rights.

The blonde vampire turned to me and asked with a curious eyebrow raised, "So, how did your attacker end up on the ground screaming so loud that we heard him down the block?" His voice held some amusement but his anger was also now evident. I knew vamps wouldn't take kindly to V heads since it was their blood being abused, so I knew the anger wasn't directed at me.

Agitated by the whole situation, and not wanting to be entertainment for the vampires at the time, I started taking my cell out of my purse and replied "It started by him" I pointed at the guy showing the disgust in my voice "thinking he could hit me with a baseball bat. Luckily I carry pepper spray, so I sprayed him in the face and he dropped his bat. I picked it up and hit him to send him to the ground. Now if ya'll are done questioning me I'm going to call the police to deal with him." As I finished speaking I started taking a few steps back so I could have a little privacy.

I secretly hoped the vampires would stay with me till the police arrived because I really didn't want to be alone with the freak any longer. I also knew if the guy tried to hurt me the vampires would be on him before I could blink. I'm sure if I wasn't standing here though, that they would have caused him serious damage by now. I could tell how angry they were with this guy by the look in their eyes and knew I'd be safer with them there. I figured that if the vampires wanted to hurt me they would have done so by now, and though they were just as much a stranger to me as my attacker, I had fear only of the human.

Slowly raising his arm and putting his hand out in the stop position, the blonde asked me to wait to call the police so that they could question the attacker first. I agreed but demanded no harm came to him. I know he tried his best to harm me, but I thought the police would deal with him better than vampires. I'm positive a vampire's way of "dealing" with guys like him would be very painful and most likely end in the death of the offender. I really didn't want the death of someone on my conscience.

The blonde looked at me with a surprised expression as soon as the words left my mouth. Maybe he was surprised that I would defend my attacker or maybe people simply didn't tell him how to handle his business. I have no idea either way.

I wanted to tell him that the guy was a drainer so that he could find out who he worked with and hopefully put a stop to their attacks. That way there would be, at the very least, one more drainer off the streets. As it turned out I didn't need to explain as the dark haired vampire had picked up the guy's bag and discovered its contents. Of course they immediately realized that he was a drainer. The blonde vampire turned to the other and ordered him to take the guy "to the normal place." With a small nod of his head the dark vampire put the guy over his shoulder and was gone, leaving only a gust of wind in his wake.

I turned to the blonde vampire and pleaded "Please don't let any harm come to him. Once you have the information you need, please give him to the police with his bag of "goodies." I really would prefer to stay out of the police questioning but if you can't get enough from him, I will give a statement of what happened tonight."

"I do not know why I'm agreeing to a request from a human but I give you my word that we will hand him over to the police as long as there is sufficient evidence to know he will be severely punished by your law. Is this where you work Miss….." He asked pointing to the store. I replied with a nod and stated, "Stackhouse, Sookie Stackhouse. It's nice to meet you."

I nearly reached my hand out to shake his until I remembered vampire protocol on greetings, so I just gave a nod and he continued, "Very well Miss Stackhouse, I will inform you of the outcome of my interrogation of that human. Now that it is safe for you to retire home, I bid you goodnight."

Before I could even reply or find out his name he was gone. I got in my car and made my way home. It was nearly 2am and I wondered if Amelia would be home yet. As it turned out, the house was empty when I got there.

I had a very quick shower, brushed my teeth and got my PJ's on. The adrenaline of my ordeal was wearing off very quickly now and I was extremely tired so I climbed into bed and was asleep in seconds.

That night I dreamt of being kidnapped by drainers and being held as ransom. My kidnappers were blackmailing a big blonde Viking, saying they would return me if he paid a ransom of 6 pints of vampire blood.

The next day I was shocked that I didn't wake up until 1pm, but when my memories of last night came rushing back I thought I deserved to lie in a bit. I was so worn out and emotionally drained (no pun intended) that I slept very deeply. As I recalled my dream I laughed at the fact I was dreaming of the sex god I had only met last night. Who wouldn't dream of him though? He was gorgeous!

I really hadn't appreciated how incredibly handsome the blonde vampire was last night and I regretted not finding out his name. He did say he would let me know the outcome of the interrogation, so hopefully I would get to see him again.

It's strange because I can't recall ever being as attracted to someone as quickly as I was to Mr. Blonde. Sure, I had crushes on guys at school like any other hormonal teenager, and I was slightly attracted to my old boss Sam Merlotte, but last night I was instantly very attracted to Mr. big blonde and beautiful. I couldn't get him off my mind!

As it was already after midday I took a shower, dressed in a nice pale green cotton sundress with white flip-flop's and made my way down to the kitchen. I switched on the coffee machine, and while that was brewing I went around opening all the curtains to let some daylight in. I sent out my mental net and realized Amelia was home but still sleeping. She must have closed the curtains when she got home because I had gone straight up to my room when I got in.

With coffee in hand I went out to the porch to sit on the bench and enjoy the afternoon sunshine while I fully woke up. When I was done with my coffee I headed back inside and started making some lunch. I washed my hands then ran them under the cold water to get them nice and cool to make the pastry for a quiche; it always turns out better when made while your hands are cold. That was a little tip I had gotten from my Gran on the numerous occasions we had a baking day. I rolled out the pastry and put it carefully in to a dish so as not to put holes in it. I whisked up some eggs and added it to the quiche dish along with bacon, fresh tomato and cheese then placed it in the preheated oven to cook.

I got a second cup of coffee and went back out to the porch. As I was mulling over the events of the night, Amelia came out with her own cup of coffee and sat beside me with the biggest smile on her face I had ever seen. I could hear her mind whirling; she was dying to tell me all the details of her date, but was unsure what had me so lost in my own thoughts and was worried that something was wrong.

I put her out of her misery and turned to her asking, "So…? How was it?"

"Oh Sookie it was perfect! It was very romantic and a lot of fun. We really got on very well. There was never a dull moment in conversation and we have so much in common even if she is a vampire." Amelia squealed, practically jumping up and down in her seat.

"That sounds great honey! Where did Pam take you?" I enthused. "And my, my, my! What time did you make it home? I wasn't home 'till nearly 2am and never heard you. It's not like you to sleep so late, so it must have been really late...or should I say early" I mockingly grilled her before she could respond.

"She took me to a beautiful restaurant downtown. The food was out of this world; it was easily the best meal of my whole life. The company and food was perfect! After we ate, well, I ate and she drank, we went for a stroll around a park, sat on a bench under the stars and chatted for hours. She was really open with me and told me she felt really comfortable around me. She even told me stories from her past, which she said to do so was not normally in her nature. She is unlike any vampire I've ever met. I didn't get home till after 3am 'cause we sat in the park that long!" She replied, sounding ecstatic as she relived her date.

Amelia's face then changed to one of confusion when she asked, "Wait... Sookie why didn't you get home till 2am? You should have been back well before one. What happened?"

I told Amelia I had to finish making lunch, which was now turning into a late afternoon meal, and that I would tell her all about last night's shenanigans while we were eating. And that's exactly what I did. She must have asked me a dozen times if I was hurt. To say she felt guilty about leaving me to work alone last night was an understatement, though I quickly reassured her that she had nothing to feel guilty about and that the guy would have still would have tried to rob us if she had been there too .

As soon as I started to tell her of Mr. big blonde and beautiful, she must have seen the gleam in my eyes and wanted all the details. She demanded that I describe everything about him. Unfortunately I didn't have a lot to tell. She noticed my disappointment because she smiled and told me to keep my chin up; reminding me that he said he would be in touch soon. For all I knew he could send someone else, perhaps the dark haired vampire? I guess I'll just have to put it to the back of my mind and wait to see if he shows up personally.

When we finished eating we stayed seated to chat some more, then Amelia went to clean up since I had cooked.

I chose to go to my room then and lay on the bed to read for awhile before running a nice hot bath. I had bought a couple of different bath salts one day while out shopping with Amelia, so I decided to give them a try. I went with the _luxurious rose_ bath salts with rose petals. The lady in the store told me they were natural bath salts infused with rose essential oil and mixed with botanical rose petals for an extra touch of luxury. She said that they helped to relax and had restorative properties.

I spent a good hour in the bath and by the time I got out the water was lukewarm and my finger tips were all wrinkled. From the bath I got into the shower to wash my hair with fresh water. Now that that was done I dried off, put on my bathrobe, brushed my teeth and dried my hair, which I left down to flow over my shoulders. For my makeup I went with a soft pink blush, black mascara and clear lip-gloss. I put on a tight fitting pair of white jeans with a baby pink short sleeve blouse that was fitted and showed ample cleavage. The outfit was finished with a pair of white slip-on wedge shoes that added a nice 3 inches to my height. I met Amelia downstairs and we soon headed off to work.

About two hours into our shift a florist delivery driver came in and instantly I looked over to Amelia with a big smirk on my face thinking it was a gift from Pam. But the driver asked for one Miss Sookie Stackhouse instead and I nearly choked on my own breath.

He was carrying a lovely bouquet of bright orange roses interspaced with cheerful yellow gorse flowers...it reminded me of the sun. My gran loved her garden and flowers in general, and unless I'm much mistaken, he's sending me a message with the flowers themselves...

Once I signed for the bouquet I turned to Amelia and voiced my suspicions, "Amelia I'm almost certain this bouquet is a message… Orange roses often symbolize passion and excitement and are an expression of fervent romance and the gorse flowers' meaning is endearing affection." I was stunned with the realization of what this could mean.

Amelia quickly recovered from what I had just said and asked me if there was a card. She was broadcasting so loud I couldn't help but hear her think that these must be from Mr. big blonde and beautiful seeing as I don't know anyone around here who would send me flowers. I picked the card out from amongst the flowers and opened it to read;

_Stunning flowers for a stunning lady._

_I hope all is well after last night's incident._

_Speak with you soon._

_E_

At that moment you could have knocked me over with a feather! I was absolutely blown away by the reality of what was happening. Me... Sookie Stackhouse… Crazy Sookie...had just received the most striking bouquet of flowers I have ever seen. On top of that it was from the most attractive man I had ever met! Well, ok, vampire... but that doesn't change a thing. Then there was the meaning of the flowers he chose...Okay, I could be reading too much into this, but orange roses and gorge flowers aren't a common combination. Surely being over 1000 years old he knows exactly what they mean? Could he actually be saying he is interested in me? Like attracted to me? To top it all off I still don't know his name… all I know is that it could possibly start with an E, or maybe the E is just for a nickname?

Amelia brought me out of my fluttering musings by waving a hand in front of my face saying "Earth to Sookie." I giggled a little and apologized for going off into my own little world. Amelia was sure he would know the meaning behind the flowers and that he knew exactly what he was doing by sending them to me.

My mind was all over the place throughout the rest of my shift and by the time we got home I decided to put it to the back of my mind and wait to see what happens when I next hear from him. Hopefully it would be face to face and very, very soon!

The next day I didn't have a lot to do and was up at 11. So once I completed my morning routine and was ready, Amelia and I went shopping at Wal-Mart to restock the refrigerator and cupboards. I got some housework and laundry done after we got home and still had time for an afternoon nap before I got ready for work.

It was an average night at work with nothing out of the ordinary happening. Amelia and I had the store closed and the take counted and stored within a matter of minutes after closing.

As we walked out the door and locked it, we noticed the shiny red corvette parked outside, and leaning against the car with his incredible arms crossed over his chest was the vampire I've been dying (ha-ha) to see! Mr. big blonde and beautiful!


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey all, **

**I just want to let you all know that Chelle6599 is not my beta any longer. She now writes this story with me! The work she puts into this with me I really don't like to call her a beta because she is so much more than that, so now this story is co-wrote by myself Aimee1985 and Chelle6599.**

**Hello everyone! What started as a simple offer of constructive criticism in feedback evolved first into a position as a beta for Aimee1985, then into status as her co-author. We hope that by combining our strengths we can create a story that you all will follow and enjoy. Neither of us has written fiction before, so we hope that you will stay with us and enjoy this journey as we learn more about writing and expressing ourselves creatively.**

**Love to you all...Chelle6599**

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I'm just playing!**

Chapter 3

A few things happened at once; my heart began to beat quickly, my breathing hitched and became clearly audible, and a huge smile spread across my face. Thankfully it wasn't my crazy Sookie smile; it was a genuinely happy smile.

"Holy cow! He's fuck hot!" Amelia blurted in shock when she turned from locking the door and noticed the enormous blonde vampire leaning against his car.

This of course caused me to blush ten shades of red, but Amelia didn't even flinch at what she had just said. She just continued to stare at him openmouthed. Sometimes she just has no shame!

Mr. big blonde and beautiful just stood there wearing pretty much the same as the last time I seen him; black jeans, black vest top and motorcycle boots. He was also wearing the smirk that I had seen just the other night… I guess it must be a trademark of his. This man knows he looks good, and with good reason. I'm certain he heard Amelia, after all vampires have extremely good hearing and eyesight.

"I'll be back in a couple of minutes." I mumbled absently to Amelia, already walking toward the vampire.

"Good evening Miss Stackhouse. May I say how lovely you look tonight?" He murmured while taking my hand in his, never breaking eye contact, to raise it to his lips and place a soft kiss on the back.

The moment his lips met my hand, I felt...something. The only way to describe what I felt is to say that it felt like a fresh dose of life suffused my body and my soul, I felt more alive. My insides shivered and shook and my heart was pounding through my chest. There was some sort of spark, like pleasurable electricity running through me from head to toe. It only lasted a split second; but it was the best split second of my life! I yearned for it to continue.

Looking up into his amazing sapphire blue eyes I was about to reply until I noticed the look of bewilderment in them. He didn't speak; he just stared at me as if he was looking deep within me, deep into my soul.

_"Did he feel that too?"_ I silently wondered, still in awe of what transpired.

With a mental shake I internally chastised myself for forgetting my manners and replied trying to sound as unfazed as possible and failing miserably,

"I'm sorry; I'm not sure what got into me! Where are my manners? It's nice to see you again. You look fantastic as well, Mr.…" I trailed off remembering that I didn't know his name. Not knowing his name plagued me since we parted ways on the night we met. _"This may be the only opportunity I get to find out who this mysterious vampire is."_ I thought to myself, simultaneously feeling an unexpected wave of sadness flow through me at the mere possibility.

"Northman, Eric Northman." He replied distractedly, a mild look of bewilderment still gracing his face. Maybe he was as confused about what just happened as I was? If he actually felt the same thing, that is. Maybe I go a little bit crazy around this guy?

I looked at Eric with an enquiring eye, waiting for him to continue and inform me why he was here, and I couldn't look away if I wanted to. I knew it would be about my attacker but I couldn't for the life of me think of a single thing to say. I was still in shock, my mind never turning from the mystery of what happened between us when we touched.

After about another 15 seconds of silence Eric seemed to have recovered and he stated sounding neutral and in control "I was wondering if you have a little time to discuss what I gleaned from your attacker Miss Stackhouse. I'm afraid I couldn't get enough evidence to pass him on to the police but I do have another possible solution."

I was just about to agree that I had the time when I realized I had left Amelia standing alone on the sidewalk. I was about to tell him I couldn't stay as Amelia and I had carpooled when he continued,

"If you permit… I could take you home once we have had our conversation? I can see your friend is waiting for you and it is pretty cold out tonight. I promise no harm will come to you while I'm around." He sounded hopeful? I swear I must be dreaming this.

I didn't feel any fear towards Eric so I felt quite safe agreeing to his proposal. I turned towards Amelia to ask if she would mind me leaving her to drive home alone when she shouted with a smile, "That's fine with me Sook, or better yet, why doesn't Mr. Northman follow us home; then the two of you could take a walk and discuss this by the lake?"

_"Sookie, I would feel better if you spoke with him on home land."_ Amelia thought at me apologetically. I could hear her thinking about the wards she put up which would stop him from even entering the gates if he meant either of us any harm.

I turned to Eric and he nodded his head in agreement and said he would follow behind. With that I got into Amelia's car and we started the short drive home.

"Oh my God, Sookie! He is so totally handsome! I prefer women, you know I prefer women, but girl I tell 'ya I wouldn't kick him out of my bed!" She said giggling while fanning herself and driving.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud at her enthusiasm, but I was still in a daze about what had happened when he touched me. I tried my best to explain it to Amelia, without her thinking that I'd lost my mind.

"I've never felt anything like that before, or heard of it outside of fairytales, but there is obviously incredible chemistry between you." Amelia replied seriously after thinking for a moment, then continued with a giggle "The way you looked at each other and forgot the world around you is kinda' a dead give-away."

I hadn't realized that was the case, but looking back I remembered feeling completely engrossed by him. I didn't, I couldn't, think of anyone or anything but us until Eric broke the silence and asked if he could return me home after we had spoken.

When we pulled up to the gates Amelia pressed the remote on her keys to open them and we pulled in with Eric following just behind. I released a noisy breath that I didn't realize I was holding. With a smile on her face, Amelia turned to me winking, saying,

"Well, looks like Mr. big, blonde and beautiful doesn't intend to do us harm! You go girl. He has the hots for you; you have the hots for him… nothing holding you back! If his height is any indication to the size of his…"

"Amelia don't you dare!" I shrieked more loudly than I should have, immediately cutting her off.

"I will not be finding out if that is true! I'm a lady and so are you; you should NOT be talking that way!" I continued but couldn't hide the smirk or blush from my face. What… I'm human… it's not like that very thought wasn't running through my head every day since we met.

Our conversation ended just as Amelia cut the engine and we were removing our seat belts. I had been so engrossed in our conversation I hadn't realized that Eric was out of his car and now opening my door to assist me getting out. I took his hand and got out of the car as gracefully as possible. For the second time tonight I felt like my heart was going to pound through my chest. I gave Amelia a little hug saying "goodnight" then I started to lead the way to the lake.

We walked in comfortable silence for a little while then I turned my head to look at Eric and asked "So, what did you get from the guy?"

Eric eyed me as if weighing his answer then replied, "Quite a lot of information, actually, and much of it was useful to me as we have been having a lot of trouble lately with vampires being drained and sent to their final deaths."

He paused briefly stopping me from moving further by taking a hold of my hand. "I'm afraid I couldn't get enough evidence to hand him over to the police as you wish, but I do have an alternate proposal for his handling, if you agree." I nodded my head for him to go on. "I will glamour him to forget his addiction to vampire blood, and I will also glamour him so that he never so much as wishes to do another vampire or human harm ever again. I am willing to do this because I gave you my word that no harm would come to him. If I had not, he would suffer greatly for what he has done...before I ended his life." He finished, his eyes narrowing.

I could see Eric was angry even thinking of this guy but I was very grateful that he was staying true to his word. He still had a hold of my hand and we were standing facing each other. I got the impression Eric thought I wouldn't take this news so well, but I actually thought that this was the second best possible outcome.

After a moment's thought I slowly replied, "Well I don't like that he can't be punished by the police for what he has done, he needs to pay. I know I'm not the first and certainly wouldn't be the last person he hurt if he was given a chance. I agree with your solution… however… I don't think he should get away scot free. Could you make him help charities with raising money any way he can?...Legally, of course. He should also volunteer to clean the cages and yard of the local dog pound." "Oh! He should also volunteer for medical trials once his system is clean and feel a compulsion to pick up trash and dog droppings from the streets...and, will you also make sure he avoids all other drugs along with vampire blood, never to do them again?"

Eric obviously found humor in my suggestion, if his long and loud laugh was any indication. It was the kind of laugh that comes from deep in your belly, where it begins to hurt if you laugh too long. I'm sure if he was human his sides would be really hurting by now. His laugh was contagious because not long after he started I joined in.

Once we settled down and were able to talk, Eric said with a hint of laughter still in his voice, "OH Miss Stackhouse that is priceless! I don't remember the last time I have laughed so much. I will be honest with you… I hated the fact he wouldn't be punished, if not killed, for what he has done but this is so much more amusing! And yes, it is totally possible for me to glamour him to do it." He paused for a moment before adding, "I will, however, be sending him away. He can't remain in the area where all of his V-head buddies are. I'm thinking South-Central Los Angeles, in California. I hear that there is still a great criminal presence there and much gang activity. The neighborhoods are falling apart and his new penchant for charity and volunteerism could go a long way there."

We finally reached the shore of the lake and I let go of Eric's hand to sit on the soft grass verge. The view was simply stunning. I thought I had seen the best of it with the sunshine reflecting off of the water, but now, looking out at the water in the moonlight, I had to admit was even better. With the only light coming from the moon and distant street lights, the water looked nearly black with electric caps topping the small waves as they danced along the surface.

It was nearly 1am now and quite dark, but I could still see really well. I looked up to the sky and saw that it was sparkling with stars, seemingly reflecting the mesmerizing surface of the lake. It was a clear night; not a single cloud in the sky. The moon wasn't yet full but would be in a couple of days. The setting seemed so unreal, like a dream or a movie set.

"Sookie..." Eric started "Would you like to walk back up to the house where it's better lit by the security lights?"

"No, I'm fine." I replied. "I was just thinking how bright it is tonight with the moon nearly full. It's quite lovely, even prettier than it is in the daylight."

We sat quietly for a little while longer, just looking out over the water when curiosity got the better of me so I asked timidly, "Mr. Northman, how did you get information from the man if it wasn't through torture?"

"Please, call me Eric." He started, to which I replied, "Ok but I insist you call me Sookie."

Now that was out the way Eric had his trade mark smirk on his face once again and he continued, "Sookie, I promised no harm would come to your attacker, not that I wouldn't torture him." I opened my mouth to say something but he placed his finger over my lips in a silent plea to let him finish. I had to stop myself from licking it…What? Where the hell did that impulse come from?

"I didn't use normal methods of violence to torture him. I used his own addiction against him as a form of torture." He said softly, sounding rather proud. I just nodded with a grin and waited for him to continue.

"I waited a full 24 hours before I started my questioning. I thought I would let him stew before I glamoured him to tell me what I wanted to know. I could get him under my influence, but strangely his cravings were so bad that he couldn't think straight and he couldn't even tell me his own name… he just kept repeating "_I need to get some blood or I will die_."

"It was obvious I wasn't getting anywhere so I thought for a while and came up with an idea." He continued. "I got an empty vial from his bag and filled it with blood."

I tried to speak again here to ask why he would do such a thing but then I seen an evil grin on his face and a sparkle in his eyes so I let him continue and stayed quiet.

"I went back to the interrogation room where he was tied to a chair and put the blood on a table just out of his reach. I told him that if he told me of all the times he had killed or hurt people and vampires he could have the blood that was in front of him. I also told him I wanted to know the names and addresses of all his companions who had helped him and how they had targeted their victims. His list was extremely long, it took him almost 3 hours to replay all of the attacks, but finally I believed he had told me everything. I put him back into the holding cell, gave him the vial of blood, and then exited the room. I must say his frustrated screams and incoherent babbling when I was leaving were quite satisfactory." Yet again Eric had a proud, vindictive smile plastered across his face.

"Eric, why did he scream like that if you had given him the blood?" I asked, knowing that my face showed my confusion.

"Oh Sookie, you didn't think I would actually give him vampire blood did you? Of course not! I filled the vial with True Blood!"

Well that just had me doubled over laughing again...what an ingenious way to use someone's addiction against them!

It was my turn to calm down before I could reply, "Oh my god, Eric that was clever... ingenious! Where is he now?"

"He is still locked away thinking he will die if he doesn't get blood. He is being fed bread and water while he's being held. I didn't want to just glamour him and send him packing without consulting with you first. I also need to wait until his cravings for vampire blood have stopped to guarantee that it will work." When he said this I couldn't help but give him a grateful smile; it was nice that my opinion mattered.

"Thank you for not hurting him, Eric. And thank you for considering my feelings." I said as I threw my arms around him.

At first he stiffened, but relaxed after a second and hugged me back. I heard him take a long sniff of my hair but thought nothing of it. Then it hit me… I had attached myself to a vampire… this was a huge no-no in vampire etiquette. Hell, they don't even do handshakes and here I am with my arms wrapped around him.

As quickly as I could I pulled back and jumped to my feet apologizing, "Eric, I am so-so sorry! I shouldn't have hugged you; I know vampires don't like physical contact with people. Please forgive me, I promise it won't happen again...I just lost myself for a moment." I explained, blushing from head to toe, extremely embarrassed at my forwardness.

Eric came to his feet as I was speaking and turned to face me. He put his hands on my shoulders gently and moved in close to smell my hair again; I just stood still. After all I had just invaded his personal space. I couldn't tell him off for doing the same to me...and I really didn't mind anyway.

After he seemingly had his fill of my hair, he looked me in the eye with a bit of confusion about what he was about to say, and replied, "Sookie you don't have to apologize. I…I liked it. It felt...right? What is it about you?" He wondered aloud then continued, "I was attracted to you from the moment we met… you remind me of the sun that I have not seen in over 1000 years! I can't help but smile when I'm around you; something I truly am not known for. This is only the second time we've been together and I already know I want to see you many, many more times. I've never felt this way about another being in my whole existence."

He paused, seeming to consider his next words. With a deep, unneeded breath he continued in nearly a whisper, "Then there is the feeling I got when I first touched you. I felt a spark from you; like electricity running through my veins. I think you felt it to?" He finished both as a statement and question, seeming shocked at his own words.

"Yes, I felt it too." I answered with an uncontrollable blush lighting my face. "I was instantly attracted to you as well. I've never been so attracted to anyone before, hell I've never really dated before."

Realizing what I said, I quickly closed my mouth and dropped my eyes to the ground in deep embarrassment. "_OH way to go Sookie! Scare him off why don't you! Why the hell did you have to go and blab that? God I'm stupid...so freaking stupid."_ I thought to myself.

Eric placed his hand under my chin; raising my face so our eyes met again and said softly, "Don't be embarrassed. I know you are pure, vampires have a very keen sense of smell and I can tell you are innocent. Along with your blood, it is the most delicious smell I have ever encountered. You fascinate me Sookie Stackhouse. I find myself captivated by you. I really do hope you will consent to see me again."

He paused then continued with regret in his voice. "But I feel I should walk you back to the house now; it is getting very late." I nodded my agreement, and we started back toward the house. Eric placed his arm around my shoulders and I rested my head against his side.

When we reached the front porch I climbed up the first step and turned to look at Eric. "Thanks again for everything." I said quietly then placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"I truly hope to see you again very soon, Sookie." Eric replied. Then, one not to be outdone, he placed a quick kiss on my lips. With that he was in his car and pulling down the driveway.

I sat on the step where I had been standing to try to gather my thoughts. I ran everything that had been said through my mind and I couldn't help the genuinely happy smile that grew on my face or the excitement I felt at the mere possibility of spending more time with him.

When I was finally done reminiscing over the night I went inside to find Amelia already in bed asleep. I went to the kitchen for a glass of ice water then headed upstairs to my bedroom. I skipped my nightly shower, choosing instead to just brush my teeth and put on my nightgown, and then snuggled under the blankets. Just before I fell asleep I looked at the bedside clock and realized we had been out chatting for more than two hours. I guess time really does fly. It was another reminder of how right Amelia was when she said Eric and I seem to forget the world around us when we're together.

I woke at 10 the next morning and was surprised that it was so early. I thought I would sleep much later since we talked for so long and I didn't get to bed until the early morning hours.

I did a mental check and found that Amelia was still asleep in her bedroom, so I just headed downstairs in my nightgown to start the coffee.

I performed my morning rituals in record time while my coffee was brewing. I towel dried my hair so that it wasn't dripping wet, brushed it, and left it to dry naturally while drinking my coffee on the porch.

I was busy making pancakes when Amelia came downstairs about an hour later. I poured her a cup of coffee and she started to clear away what dishes I was finished with. I dished up the pancakes, grabbed the syrup and we went to the dining table to eat.

I told Amelia everything that Eric and I had agreed to do about my attacker and she seemed to find my options just as funny as Eric had. She also found Eric's inventive way of torture to be amusing. I told her everything he had revealed about his feelings; how he had felt the same spark when he kissed my hand, how I reminded him of the sun, that he has never felt so attracted to another being, and that he also wishes to see me again… "_many times_"! I couldn't help being giddy while I told her all of this. I realized last night on the front porch when I was pondering everything that had been said that he seemed to be as interested in me as I am him.

Amelia was just as giddy as I was. That's one of the reasons I think we get along so well; we are never jealous of how happy the other is. I've seen it in so many times in people's minds...especially females. Jealously between friends is like a disease. It's usually because one friend gets more attention from guys than the other does, or that one has a bigger bust or one looks hotter than the other. I never really understood why they would be so jealous. Why did they need to be so bitchy in their heads but then so nice to the person in question?

I suppose I valued my friendship more than petty quarrels since I never had many friends to begin with. If I could see my friend happy or looking good it made me happy, not envious or resentful. Amelia and I most definitely felt the same way as one another: I'm genuinely happy for her and Pam and she is just as happy about me and Eric!

Clapping her hands excitedly Amelia squealed, "Sookie this is fabulous! I'm so happy that you are happy! It says so much that you both feel the same way! So when do you see him again?"

"I'm not exactly sure… he told me he hoped to see me soon but I don't know when or if that will happen. He knows where I live and work but I don't really know anything about him. I will just have to wait and hope that our paths cross or that he shows up again one night." I replied with a shrug, a little sad that we hadn't made any arrangements. I was really disappointed that we hadn't exchanged numbers and that he hadn't specified another time to meet.

Amelia just smiled and said, "Sookie… you can't seriously have any doubt that you will be seeing him again? He told you how interested he is! I'm certain you will be seeing him again soon. You had only met him once when he sent you that beautiful bouquet! Last night he told you he wanted to see you again, so I know he will. He's a vamp...they rarely say things like that when they don't mean. He'll show up at the shop or here, you just wait and see girl!"

"I hope you are right Amelia. I really do like him and would love to see if this can go anywhere. It feels right to be around him, I feel safe with him...It's so hard to explain! Life just feels perfect in every way when I'm around him." I replied passionately.

I couldn't help the faraway look in my eyes. It really is hard to find the words to explain how perfect it feels to be with him…like it is where I'm supposed to be. I stood up to take my dishes to the kitchen and decided to try to wait patiently for him to show up. It's the only thing I can do since I don't know where to reach him.

After doing some housework for a couple of hours, I put on my bikini and went to lay by the lake for some sun. I had been in the sun only for an hour and was struggling to keep my eyes open. I didn't want to fall asleep and risk getting sunburn, so I gathered my things and went in the house for a nap.

When I woke up my nose was assaulted by the aroma of something cooking and it smelt delicious. I was just on my way to the bedroom door when Amelia knocked asking,

"Sooks dinner is nearly ready. Are you awake?" I opened the door as soon as she spoke and Amelia jumped, making me laugh a little.

"Sorry Amelia!" I replied snickering. "I didn't mean to startle you! Whatever you cooked smells incredible!"

We made our way back to the kitchen and I found that Amelia had made crab cakes with roast potatoes and a side salad. She had a glass of fresh sweet tea on the counter for each of us as well. I helped her fill our plates and we made our way to the dining room to eat. After eating and cleaning up, we went to our rooms to get ready for work.

It had been pretty busy at work and we entertained ourselves with the game Amelia liked to play. It changed from me just telling Amelia what customers had been thinking; now she would guess some things about the customer and I would reveal the truth.

A man had just left the store when Amelia turned to me and said "OK…I would guess he is in his late 40's, he hasn't been getting any from his wife for some time now, so he is buying that sexy lingerie for her to try and put her in a sexy mood in the hopes of getting some…"

I couldn't help but laugh at her, she said just about the same thing for every male who came into the store, so I corrected her.

"He's in his early 50's, has sex with his wife often… but the lingerie was for his bit on the side: his 25 year old bit on the side. He thinks if he buys her sexy lingerie and expensive gifts she will stop asking him to tell his wife about their affair and leave her so that they can be together full time. He, of course, has no intentions of doing so. He loves his wife, but they are childhood sweethearts and he is getting bored. His mistress hit on him one night in a bar and he was stunned that someone so young was interested in him. Now he loves the excitement of having a younger model... basically he's a sleaze bag and doesn't deserve either woman!"

At around 10.30 Amelia came back from her break with a big smile on her face and a spring in her step. I could tell she was excited about something so I made sure my shields were in place to wait for her to tell me. It didn't take long.

"Sookie... I hope you don't mind...just tell me if you don't want to come, but I've already rang and asked the day shift workers if they can do a double shift to cover for us and they agreed."

Putting my hands onto her shoulders so we were face to face I tell her, "Amelia I can see you are excited, and I guess I don't mind a night off at all; but where is it you are wanting me to come and when?"

"Oops, sorry. I guess I got a little carried away." She replied blushing. "We've been invited to a party tomorrow night. It's Pam's 300th birthday, well, vamp-day...whatever you want to call it. Please, please say you will come with me!"

"Well, hell." I started. "I could use a night out, so why not! I'm sure we'll have a great time!" I finished with an indulgent smile at Amelia. I was happy to go with her but silently wished to myself that I had a tall, blonde date.


	4. Chapter 4

**I know everyone was expecting the party but before we get to that here is a little bonus for you all for the huge support you all are showing, a little bit of our favorite Viking. A little lemon in this chapter but expect a lot more in the future.**

****Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris. We are just playing!****

Chapter 4 (Bonus)

Eric POV:

Finally I have some time to myself. There are two hours left before the dawn and I've decided to spend it soaking in my Jacuzzi tub. The fragrance of the sandalwood bath oil is as relaxing to my mind as the hot water is to my body. I cannot help but to smile to myself remembering when a bath such as this was the most interesting and novel event of a week, a month, or even a year. Speaking of novel and interesting, what a night this has been! There hasn't been nearly enough in recent years.

I called a meeting of the Louisiana Sheriffs in response to the ever-increasing threat of drainers and the Fellowship of the Sun. There have been many attacks and 27 final deaths of vampires statewide in the last six months. I will not stand for it.

The Fellowship emerged in fearful response to Vampire revealing our existence to humanity. We knew a group would come forward...one always does when humans are faced with that which they cannot easily understand. This group, like those before it, has dedicated themselves to the elimination of that which they fear in the name of a deity that has been known to man for thousands of years less than the oldest of vampire's lives.

It was a productive meeting. I started collaborating with the Shreveport Werewolf pack (The Long tooth pack) as they are local to my home area. My Sheriffs have expressed their admiration for my progressiveness and business acumen in dealing with them professionally and have decided to approach their local packs in the hope of forming a similar amiable relationship. Alcide Herveaux, the local pack master, agreed that we need to get these attacks in hand. I am certain that his interest in our problems stems solely from concerns for his own kind as they have been contemplating a reveal to the human public reminiscent of ours. I however, do not care what the reason is. He agreed to assign a Were the task of integrating himself with the Fellowship in the hopes of gaining actionable intelligence. This, obviously, was impossible for us to accomplish without a cooperative breather.

In the past I've glamoured blood bags to attend the Fellowship church and report back to me without falling victim to their message, but rarely has that produced information upon which we can act. They are seldom astute enough to determine what information is important and what is not. Having a trained Were in the church's ranks is likely to produce intelligence gold.

My Area 5 Investigator, Bill Compton, has made some strides in ferreting out drainers and V-heads, but the attacks have continued and indeed have increased in frequency. I do not fault him for this as it is likely that his work has merely caused the drainers to act more rashly out of desperation.

When the meeting ended, Bill and I were discussing the possible uses of our Were alliance as we exited the club. Before we were three steps outside of Fangtasia, we heard a wailing scream coming from the far end of the strip mall. With a glance and shrug to one another, we set off to investigate the disturbance.

Mmmmm...what a sight we were met with! A beautiful and voluptuous blonde woman stood over a screaming man, holding a can of pepper spray in one hand and a baseball bat in the other. He was wailing in near incoherence, damming her for hurting him. My fangs emerged involuntarily, entranced with the Valkyrie fresh and victorious from battle. Compton's reaction was much the same, fangs out-dick on. I spoke one word in a nearly silent whisper: "mine". He quietly responded "Yes, Sire" and forced his fangs to retract.

After some discussion we found that the man on the ground was a V addict and drainer who attacked this woman for money to buy more blood. I could barely contain my desire to kill him where he sat. The woman, Sookie Stackhouse, asked for me to allow the human police to deal with this animal, knowing that he was a drainer. I am still unsure why, but I bargained with her to permit us to question him before her authorities were involved. With a promise that no harm would befall him, she agreed.

"Sookie Stackhouse." I spoke aloud as I refreshed the hot water in my bath. Her name alone stirs something in me. She stood stalwart over her attacker as we approached, showing no fear of the swine at her feet. As we began to speak, I noticed only a faint trace of the scent of fear of her assailant emanating from her luscious body. Interestingly, there were no signs that she feared Compton or me...odd considering we could do more damage to her than that filthy human ever could.

The mere memory of her sweet scent leads me to caress myself, makes me run my hand across my chest, down my abdominal muscles, ending with a firm grasp on my hard cock. _"Her scent can't be as enticing as I remember."_ I think to myself as I pour more bath oil into my palm. I have never, in my 1000 years, come across a scent so attractive, so demanding of my attention. "I will have to see her again if only to see if she smells as good as I remember" I speak aloud as I begin slowly stroking my shaft.

More thoughts of the bold woman invade my senses as I continue stroking myself...thoughts of her golden hair, the same shade as mine, flowing past her shoulders, kissing them where I would like to lay my lips... thoughts of her crystal blue eyes that I swear could see into my soul...thoughts of her sun-kissed skin, so seemingly soft, like velvet; Oh to have that skin caressing my straining cock, rubbing against my body in concert with our passions...thoughts of her petite hands, gently tugging my balls, teasing my scrotum..."FUCK!" I roar as my orgasm grips me, sending my skull crashing against the edge of the tub. _"What the hell has this woman done to me?"_ I wonder to myself as I slow my body's unconscious undulation and unneeded breaths. It's been centuries since I came so hard with a human, let alone the mere thought of one. What the hell would happen if we actually fuck?

I promised to keep her informed of what we find from her attacker, and I will indeed do so, myself. I will send no underling to her...I will see to it personally.

With only half an hour left before sunrise, I leave specific instructions for my day-man to ensure she thinks of me as I think of her.

(Three nights later)

_"Vermin...all of them"_ I think to myself in disgust as I stare out over the sea of pickled humanity crowding the floor of my club. It was only last night that I spent three wonderful hours in the presence of possibly the most perfect specimen of humanity ever to exist. Sookie. Why can't I get this woman out of my thoughts? Would I even want to now? I think I was lost the moment we touched.

The cacophony of sounds and deluge of vile scents that overwhelm the bar disappear from my notice as I think back to last night.

I waited for Sookie outside the lingerie store at which she works, anxious to see her reaction to the flowers I sent and (if I'm being honest with myself) her reaction to me. Gods! I haven't worried about a human's opinion of me since I was a human! I wonder if she has any idea of the real message sent in that bouquet. It would be a novelty indeed for a modern-day human to perceive the true intent.

She noticed that I was waiting for her as she and her coworker were exiting the store, and I couldn't completely stop a smile from spreading across my face. My compromise was to allow my trademark grin to grace my countenance instead.

I had to withhold a belly laugh as her friend described me as "fuck hot" and pretend that I hadn't heard her at all. Sookie was already blushing and I didn't want to make her uncomfortable before we even had the chance to speak.

When she finally stood before me, I took her hand to plant a soft kiss on the back and the most curious thing happened: I felt a spark of electricity, of life, flow across our physical connection. I couldn't completely contain the surprise and confusion I felt at the sensation. These things were only real in fairy tales...the stories told to children to comfort them at night and help them to believe that life would be better than what they have known.

Neither of us seemed to be able to look away from the other; nor were we easily able to speak. She seemed just as taken aback by the sensation as I was, and I felt all the better for it. Eventually I was able to compose myself enough to ask for time to discuss her attacker and his fate.

Thankfully, she agreed to spend the time with me. While I had planned to take her to Fangtasia for the conversation, her coworker (and roommate, I soon found out) helpfully suggested that I follow them home to have this discussion. I knew that my child and second, Pam, would manage the club and any issues that may arise, so I easily agreed to the compromise.

Try as I may, I could not hear the conversation between Sookie and her roommate as we made our way to their home. The velocity of our cars, along with the ambient road noise made the endeavor impossible. I continued to listen as we arrived at the gate to their property, but my attention was quickly diverted by the scent and feel of magic surrounding the home.

I knew that it represented protective wards as I have experienced them many times throughout my life...but who cast them? Is Sookie a witch? Is that what is so different about her? Is it her roommate? Did they simply have enough connections in the Supe world to hire a witch to place the wards? Whatever the case, I would think on it later.

I could finally hear what they were discussing and I was not disappointed. I could hear the embarrassment in Sookie's voice as she chastised her friend for speculating on the size of my manhood, and I couldn't have been happier. Sookie obviously had at least somewhat the same reaction to me as I did to her. The attraction was undeniable, but I did not want (whatever this was) to be the extent of our relationship. Wait...did I say relationship? I have not had a relationship with a human in all of my years, unless of course you count the hours I spent with Pam before I turned her.

Before the engine of their car was cut, I was at Sookie's door, waiting to help her from the car. I didn't want to wait a moment longer to be in her presence again.

I took her hand and we walked passed a well-tended flower garden and across the immaculately manicured lawn, toward the shore of Cross Lake. I was curious as to how two women who work in a lingerie store could afford a home such as this, but decided that it was a mystery better left for another day. I was more concerned with the mysterious connection I felt for this woman that I have only known for a few days.

Sookie began our discussion of her attacker as we walked, and I couldn't have been more pleased to discover that she did not wish him to go unpunished. I worried that she would not like the compromise I formulated, so I was pleasantly surprised with the suggestions she made. While much milder than the fate I would have chosen for the creature (I would have preferred to rip him to shreds and be done with it), Sookie managed to create a vengeance that would span the remainder of the drainer's life. I couldn't help but to admire her imagination for recompense and altruistic sense of turnabout.

To say I was caught unaware when she hugged and thanked me for considering her wishes in dealing with the waste of life would be a gross understatement. That did not, however, stop me from returning her embrace with heretofore unheard of enthusiasm. I buried my face in her hair and inhaled deeply. Her scent was even better than I thought. The feel of her encased in my arms nearly had me undone...until she released me, jumping to her feet and apologizing for her actions.

For the first time in my existence, and for reasons still unknown, I let my guard down and let her know exactly how I felt. Before I spoke, I buried my face in her hair, against her neck once again. I had to be sure I wasn't imagining that perfect scent. But no...it wasn't all in my mind. Her scent was truly that delicious, and pure.

She responded to my confession, admitting her identical attraction as well as her virginity, but not in so many words. I knew she was pure as I could smell it, but having her admit to it along with her feelings was almost too much for me to bear. I could feel the primal need to claim her grow within me and with the last of my willpower to resist, I conveyed my wish for us to see each other again and suggested that we part for the evening. I did not want to leave her, but knew that it would be a mistake to stay. I was unsure of the extent of my control for the first time in hundreds of years and did not want to frighten her away from me. Keeping her secured under my arm and against my side, we made our way back across the property. I swear that this is the longest I have been in physical contact with a human without expecting an orgasm to follow immediately.

When we reached the house she placed a chaste kiss on my cheek in thanks, and I returned the gesture but on her lips, nearly losing all of my carefully cultivated control. I had to leave her before I did something I would regret, so I left her on her porch and sped to my car and down the driveway. As the distance between us increased, I realized that I had not told her how to find me, nor had I asked to see her on a specific day. "_Oh well, I know where to find her." _I thought to myself as I sped away, the beast still clawing at me, demanding his release.

As this final remembrance of the previous evening wove its way through my thoughts, I noticed that my child was standing behind my throne with an expression of curious worry on her face.

"Master, are you well?" She intoned gently, obviously wondering what thoughts had me so completely engrossed. Apparently nearly an hour had passed since I fell into my thoughts and she was worried at what had so totally ensnared my attention. The reality of my surroundings was suddenly more distasteful than they were before I lost myself in my thoughts.

"I'm fine, Pamela." I responded, feigning indifference. "What have you been doing since you were relieved of door duty?" I asked quickly in a blatant attempt to change the subject.

"I've only made a phone call to invite my new..._friend_ to my birthday party tomorrow night. She is quite the dish and I would like for you to meet her, Master." She replied with a leer on her face, yet with deference in her voice. I could tell that she had more than a passing interest in this new woman.

"Very well, Pam. I will be leaving soon if you know of no reason I should stay this evening." I stated rather than asked.

"No Master, all will be fine here. However... perhaps you should eat: there is a party of young women here for a 21st birthday party who are virtually untouched by vampire..."

"No!" I interrupted with a growl. "I am not hungry and I can feed myself when I am, thank you." I said with a bit more agitation than what was warranted. The Gods know I would never admit to my child, at least not right now, that I was consumed with thoughts of one small woman and could not stomach the thought of feeding from a lesser being.

"I will see you before your party tomorrow evening, my child." I said with affection and a genuine smile as I stood an exited the stage. I wanted nothing more at the moment than to be alone with my fantasies of the diminutive blonde who had effortlessly ensnared all of my senses.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone,**

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**Aimee and Michelle x**

Chapter 5

Amelia looked at me with concern clearly showing on her face, "Sookie I think I should let you in on a few things before the party tomorrow night." I looked at her and nodded for her to go on "Vampires, weres and witches are not the only supernatural creatures. I didn't want to tell you just yet but I'm not sure who or what we will meet at the party, so I thought it would be best to warn you ahead of time. There are too many for me to list, but I'm sure if you come across any you will be able to tell with your telepathy."

I nodded my head, processing the information, "I guess I've always known there were 'others' beside humans Amelia. I'm not exactly 'normal' myself," tapping the side of my head to show my point. "Once vampires were out of the closet and Sam told me about shifters, I figured that there was a lot more I didn't know about. Then you told me you are a witch, so that theory was at least partially confirmed. Don't worry about me, I prepared myself for the possibility that I would come across different supernatural's at some point. I'm actually pretty excited to find out what's out there; I just hope the supernatural's I meet are nice." I said smiling. I appreciated Amelia's obvious care towards me and I really wasn't all that surprised. _"I guess I will have to wait and see what I meet tomorrow night." _I thought to myself.

"Well, the short list includes vamps, witches, weres, shifters and apparently telepaths...but there are also fairys, demons, and all kinds of others that originate from those two categories. Vampires are the most common, however." Amelia finished.

Suddenly a thought crossed my mind that worried me a little, "Amelia what on earth do we get Pam for a gift? I've never bought anything for a 300 year old vampire before." I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped, this all seemed so surreal.

"I have an idea of what I want to get her, but I have to make a call to a jeweler I know and see if he can make it by tomorrow. He is really good, so fingers crossed that it will be done in time. Do you mind if I go call him now? I will only be a couple of minutes, his shop is open late so I should catch him there…"

"Of course Amelia go ahead, I can take care of things here." My mind was racing; I couldn't think of what I could buy for Pam. I know she likes her lingerie as she is in here every week and buys multiple sets. If you lived for 300 years what would you not have? After more thinking I figured that there probably isn't much that she doesn't have, and with the party being tomorrow night and having so little time, lingerie would defiantly be my best bet.

I decided to go with some cute lingerie from a new line we just got in stock that I knew Pam hadn't bought yet. It was perfect for her. I picked out a matching balconet bra, tanga panty in a lovely salmon and blush pink floral lace set against pink satin. Luckily I had seen Pam's sizes when she shopped here so that wouldn't be a problem. I set the gift aside for Amelia to ring through for me before we closed the register for the night.

"Great news!" Amelia exclaimed as she turned the corner coming out of the back room. "My jeweler can make me exactly what I want for Pam by tomorrow evening. We'll have to stop at his shop on the way to the party, but he promised me that I would be pleased. I just hope that Pam likes it." She finished in a near mumble.

"Amelia! You know she'll love it! You and she have the same taste and I can't imagine you buying a gift that you find distasteful." She glanced at me bashfully. "Besides," I continued, "It's jewelry and she is very much a woman, how can you go wrong? Unless it's silver..." I finished with fake look of concern on my face.

"Okay, okay...you're right, she'll love it!"Amelia laughed.

"Do you think she'll like these?" I asked with uncertainty in my voice as I pulled my choices off the hold rack behind the counter.

"Are those from the new Arbutus line? They're fantastic! Sweet and sexy...I can't wait to see her..."

"Stop!" I cut her off laughing and raising my hand. "I really don't need to picture it."

Amelia's face flushed a bright pink color and she nodded, gently placing the garments back on their holding rack.

"You know, I would really like to get her something to go with those." I said out loud, more as a thought than a statement.

"Well great, Sook!" Amelia said as she started to bounce on the balls of her feet a little. "We'll go shopping tomorrow! You can find something more for Pam and we can find something new and really hot to wear! We'll go out for a nice lunch then head home and nap before we have to get ready! What do you think?" She questioned, nearly breathless.

"Sure, it sounds like fun! We'll have a real girl's day and cap it off with some partying and dancing!" I answered, excitement beginning to build within me. I thought how strange it was that I only started living my life when I moved here and thought I was leaving my life behind. What was it that Gran said? Oh yes, how could I forget? _"You have to live to learn, but first you have to learn to live."_ I think I'm finally beginning to understand what that truly means.

Finally it was 7 o'clock, just a couple of hours before we were to meet Pam at Fangtasia for her party. Amelia and I each took a shower in our own bathrooms, but decided since it was still "girls day" that we would both get ready in her giant walk-in closet that was truly a fasionista's dream. Along with enough designer clothes, shoes and accessories to fill a small mall, the closet hosted two vanity tables with plenty of space for all of our hair supplies and cosmetics.

Amelia returned from downstairs with a smile on her face and a bottle of Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet red wine, a corkscrew and two bulbous wine glasses.

"Here Sook! We need to toast to us, and I need a little liquid courage." She said as she handed me a glass and set hers on the vanity. "Will you turn some music on? Maybe a dance mix? My iPod is in the dock on the wall." Amelia rushed as she was working the corkscrew into the top of the bottle.

I did as she asked, and soon we were dancing circles in our underwear, shaking our hips in time Florence and the Machine's Howl, with glasses of wine in hand, singing and smiling like loons.

After we settled into our spaces at the vanity tables and dried our hair, I began setting my hair with hot rollers while Amelia carefully drew a hot iron through hers to make it poker straight. While I pinned a few thin strands of curls back from my face to the top of my head to build a little more volume, Amelia painstakingly arranged the front of her hair to fall seductively over her left eye.

I decided to do my makeup with a bit more drama than usual and began applying black liquid eyeliner and volume-building mascara. Using two shades of grey eye shadow to create a smoky effect really made the blue of my eyes pop. I finished the look with a pink blush and shimmering pink lipstick. I have to admit, I was thrilled with my appearance. Amelia used the same eyeliner and mascara as I did, but applied a mix of dark plum and pinkish eye shadows that made her eyes seem to glow. Her blush was a subtle red, and her lipstick was a saturated fire engine red. She looked like a freaking supermodel! Pam is going to be one happy birthday girl tonight!

With only a half hour left before we absolutely needed to leave the house so that we had time to pick up Amelia's gift for Pam, we started dressing.

I chose a spectacular strapless dress that was a little shorter than I would normally go for but I had instantly fallen in love with it in the store. It is a strapless, white mini-dress with big red and orange flowers. The skirt part is a layered puffball style and the bodice is fully boned to support my bust. There is side rouching at the waist which really punctuates my womanly curves, pinned with a rhinestone broach. Having no need for a bra, I put on some sexy white panties and my red stilettos. I added my diamond pendent necklace and matching stud earrings that I had gotten for my 21st birthday from my gran and Jason. They are small and simple but it's the only decent jewelry I own and I simply adore them.

Amelia also bought a new dress for tonight and I appreciated it even more once she put it on then when it was on the hanger. It's also a mini-dress, but is a skin tight satin in deep purple with only one shoulder that is accented with a swirl of fabric that rises to look floral. She added four-inch black peep toe stilettos and a diamond and amethyst cuff bracelet to finish her look.

We were ready just in time for the cab driver to buzz the house from the gates to let us know he was there. We each grabbed a shawl from Amelia's collection to match our outfits in case we needed them later and quickly made our way to the car. Once we were in the car, we asked the driver to make a stop at the jewelers; then once we were back on the road Amelia sent Pam a text message letting her know we would be arriving soon.

After our detour to the jewelers that took no more than five minutes, we soon pulled up outside the club. I noticed the neon sign saying 'Fangtasia' and I couldn't help the smirk that formed on my face. Although I drove past the bar on numerous occasions, I still found humor in the name as the bar was owned by vampires. Amelia paid the cab fare (I agreed to get it on our return home) and we got out the car.

I could see there was a queue to get in and everyone was dressed in black or red looking like something out of the Adams family; the 'goth' style that I'm sure these people think the vampires love. I know differently because Pam has said on a couple of occasions how much she hates dressing up for work and she is defiantly a pastels person.

Pam was just walking outside when we were getting to the club and she looked amazing in a baby pink mini dress that was deeply cut at the bust and silver strappy high heels. "Come on girls, no queuing for you." She said, giving us a little tut as she could see we were going to stand in line. The fangbangers standing in line were beginning to grumble about the preference Pam showed to Amelia and Sookie.

Amelia and I wished her "happy birthday"; Amelia emphasizing it with a kiss and we went inside. The entire interior was styled in red, grey and black and there were numerous framed pictures of every vampire to have dropped fang in movies. The club's lighting really leaves a lot to be desired; it's extremely dim, but I guess the clientele prefer it because it conveys an eerie feel.

There were also satin drapes in two shades of red (ruby and garnet Amelia informed me later) with silver scarves and ties fixed around each column and adorning the walls behind each booth. Silver candleholders with red candles were placed on each table and at intervals along the bar. A long buffet table was set up along the far left back wall and it too was adorned in the two complementary shades of red. Pam certainly went all out with the decorations for her party and it all looked very elegant even with the fangbangers in their black leather and latex milling around.

"Ladies, get yourselves a drink and make your way over to that booth." Pam said pointing towards the back of the bar where there were reserved signs on the booths and tables. I nodded my understanding then turned in the direction of the bar with Amelia following.

The bartender was eyeing us as we walked over and I instantly disliked him. There was something very creepy and off about the way he smiled at us. I could hear from Amelia's mind that she was less than impressed by him as well. He was around 5'8" and looked to be American Indian with long straight jet black hair. His eyes were very dark and very cold; he had a bent nose and a straight line of a mouth, unless he wore that creepy smile. Physically he looked tough; he had muscular arms with several tattoos and his whole appearance screamed violence. Judging with my skill I guessed he must be around 360 years old.

"What can I get you two lovely lady's to drink?" he said while eye fucking us.

"A gin and tonic for me and a vodka and coke for my friend please" I replied with my 'crazy Sookie' smile firmly plastered on my face.

He brought our drinks over but when I tried to pay he notified us that the drinks were on the house for those invited to the party. We quickly grabbed our drinks, mumbled a 'thank you' and walked over to stand by the booth where Pam was waiting.

"Here Pam this is for you!" I said handing the wrapped boxes to her. She eyed me with a confused expression so I went on to say, "It's a birthday present, I hope you like it."

"Oh my! I forgot humans give gifts at parties." Pam said as she began opening her gifts. "Sookie it's beautiful!" Pam exclaimed as she pulled the red lace and ribbon knee-length sundress that I bought for her this afternoon from its box. "Really Sookie, I never get to wear red in such a pretty style." She added as she was pulling the ribbon from her second package. "These are fantastic!" Pam said her eyes flashing as she pulled the pretty pink lace lingerie set from its box. "You made a great choice...any chance you will model it for me as well?" she joked while running her fangs down a little while winking at Amelia at my right to show her she was only teasing with the comment.

I could feel the blush starting in my checks, but before I had a chance to reply a deep voice intoned from right behind me, "She most certainly will not!" Startled at the closeness of the voice I turned quickly and was breathless with the sight in front of me. Eric. He was dressed in a tailored silver grey suit with a crisp white shirt under his jacket; the top three buttons of the shirt were undone. "Eric." I whispered which he of course heard over the music thanks to his super vamp hearing. He leaned forward and brushed his lips across my check and said quietly, "You look like a white candle in a coal mine Sookie."

With a bright smile I reply, "Thank you Eric, you look amazing yourself." From behind me I hear Pam saying with a question to her tone, "Master?"

"_Master? Why did Pam just call Eric master?" _ I think to myself in confusion. The confusion must have been showing on my face because Eric answered my silent question "Sookie, I'm Pam's maker. I made her vampire; therefore I'm her master." He then looked over my head and said to Pam "It's thanks to Sookie here that we able to remove that drainer from our streets."

Silence fell over the four of us we processed the fact that we all know each other in one way or another, until Amelia broke the silence saying "Here sweetie, I got this for you" as she handed her gift to Pam.

I was still staring at Eric and noticed a small raise of his eyebrow when Amelia called Pam 'sweetie' but he soon schooled his features and looked down at me, saying "I'm sorry but I have business to attend to for a little while, but can I ask that you save a dance for me?" I gave him a small smile and nod in agreement, then he said his goodbyes and I turned to sit in the booth. I didn't miss the glance he threw back to the table before he disappeared into the 'employees only' area.

With a sweet smile to Amelia, Pam tore the paper from her gift. She was silent for a moment when she opened the box and I could hear that Amelia started to worry about her choice. Set against the black velvet of the jewelry box was a lovely necklace and pendant. The entire piece was made of platinum and the pendant was styled of two diamond-edged oval sets, one hanging daintily from the other. The stone in the middle of the top oval was a cut natural ruby, the other a natural garnet.

"Amelia..." Pam started nearly speechless. She swallowed hard and continued "this is so thoughtful, and so beautiful! You really shouldn't have gone to so much trouble! Both of my birthstones...thank you, really, thank you so much!" She finished while wiping any evidence of tears from her eyes before they could fall.

Pam really loved her gift, and with Amelia's help she removed the necklace she wore to the party and replaced it with her new one. She gave Amelia a lingering kiss then said she had to go greet her other guests.

As soon as we were left alone Amelia turned her body towards me with a wicked smile on her face and teased, "Well isn't it a small world! You with the daddy, and me with the daughter!" I couldn't help it… I laughed… I laughed so hard that most eyes in the bar were on me. Pam came rushing back over to see what was so funny and I don't think I've seen Amelia blush so deeply since I met her. "Oh nothing sweetie, just a little private joke." She quickly replied to Pam's inquiries. Pam quirked an eyebrow showing she didn't believe us but dropped the issue and went to greet more of her friends.

The club was in full swing now and was jam packed with fangbangers and tourists. The part of the club where we were was closed off to them so we thankfully didn't have to push and shove to move around.

After me and Amelia danced to a couple of songs and were sitting alone in our booth, she nudged my leg to get my attention then thought to me, "Have you searched around? Are there any brain signals you don't recognize?" I discreetly shook my head no and mouthed 'not yet' because to be honest I'd been having such a good time I hadn't thought about it since we walked into the club. When we first came in I had caught some thoughts from the clientele which were all about sex and the desire to be bitten, so I had put my shields up and kept them that way.

Gradually I lowered my shields and worked on blocking the humans out the best I could so that I could focus on the supernaturals. I picked up 8 weres; 2 at the front door, 2 at what I assumed would be the back door and 4 that were mingling around the club. Tallying the vampire voids I found 25; some staff and some party guests. I also picked up on 2 females whose brain signals I had never came across before. Their brains seemed to emit bursts of static and a buzz that vibrated at a higher pitch than the man sitting in the same booth but opposite them. His brain seemed somewhat stronger: more of a void than the girls but with a stronger buzz and more static. If I had to take a guess I would say that whatever they are he has stronger genes.

As soon as I brushed his mind his eyes fell on me. To say he startled me when I heard his voice in my mind would be a gross understatement.

"_Hello little lady, care to explain how I felt you trying to get in my head?_" He didn't seem angry but he also didn't seem pleased. I figured my only chance was to own up.

"_I'm so sorry! I've never met another telepath before. I was just curious to what you are. I've never met any brain signals like you or the two girls you are sitting with before._" I replied telepathically in apology, hoping he would hear me; I've never spoke mind to mind before so I was unsure that it would work.

He smiled at me then before replying, "_That's ok… it's always good to know what and who you are keeping company with. To feed your curiosity I will tell you I am a full demon and these girls, my nieces, are half demons. I'm Mr. Cataliades, and they are Diantha and Gladiola. Pleased to meet you._"

He actually sent me a mental picture of us shaking hands and that made me instantly warm to him. _"This man has manners, I like it." _I thought to myself.

Showing my warmest smile without creating too much attention I reply "_I'm Sookie Stackhouse. Pleased to meet you too sir_."

"_Miss Stackhouse can I ask how I've never come across your name before? How have you kept your telepathy a secret all these years?" _He asked seeming curious himself now.

"_Well, I'm from a small backwater town sir; I've always kept myself to myself because of my curse. I haven't long lived in Shreveport. The only people who know of my curse are my brother Jason; even if he does try to pretend I don't have it, my friend Sam, and Amelia here."_ I replied with a small motion towards Amelia who now interrupted my 'mental' conversation with Mr. Cataliades by asking, "Sookie I'm gonna get a glass of punch from the buffet table, you want one?" I replied "yes please" and with that she was out of the booth and on her way to the buffet table.

Mr. Cataliades waited until she was out from the booth before replying, "_Miss Stackhouse I'm a lawyer in the supernatural world… I think you should know the seriousness of what would happen if your secret got out. Would you like to meet up sometime and we could discuss some options you could do to protect yourself better_?"

I know exactly what he is talking about because not only have I worried that supernatural's would find out what I can do, but the human authorities too. I've pictured myself being held against my will and forced to read people. Murderers, terrorists, rapists you name it, I've imagined it.

"_I had indeed thought about what could happen to me sir. That's the reason I haven't told many people; only those I truly trust. I think if you are willing to help me, I defiantly would like to meet with you. You have experience in the supernatural world that I don't, and I'm willing to do anything I have to do to keep myself safe." _I thought back to him, all the while keeping my head moving around, smiling here and there at passing people, or giving a nod to the vampires so I seemed to be simply scanning the crowd.

Mr. C (my nickname for him since his surname is such a tongue twister) then came walking over and stood beside the booth where I was sitting. We shook hands in a proper greeting and he passed me his business card saying "Call me anytime day or night as demons have very little need to sleep." With a smile I took his card and put it into my purse.

Just as he was about to leave, Eric came back flashing a big toothy smile my way. Mr. C formally bowed to Eric saying "Your Majesty." To which Eric replied with a simple "Mr. Cataliades."

Mr. C then took his leave and Eric held out his hand for me asking, "Sookie, would you come to my office for a quiet word please?" I took his proffered hand and just before I followed to his office I noticed Amelia making her way back with my punch, I mouthed a 'sorry' with an apologetic smile to which she gave me a huge grin with a wink and projected to me, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

The moment we stepped inside, I found myself with my back pressed against the door that just closed, and Eric running his fingers over my face, time and time again as he stared into my eyes. Just as I was about to speak, he leaned in, covering my body with his, and took my lips with his in a deeply sensuous, prolonged kiss. I have never been kissed this way, and I have honestly never seen a kiss like this in any mind I've come across. I felt like I was losing myself and I was okay with that. My heart instantly began to pound as my body began to burn. I didn't want to let go...I wanted it to last.

When we finally broke apart, he said without a trace of insincerity "I barely know you, but I've missed you."

I didn't know what to say or do, so I went with humor. With about a foot of space between us now, I said with a mischievous smile on my face "Your Majesty" as I performed the best curtsey I could manage from memory of the old movies I had watched with Gran, while fluttering my eyelashes.

"Don't...seriously, don't do that, Sookie." Eric stated with something resembling regret in his voice.

"I suppose I owe you an explanation." He continued, looking into my eyes for permission to continue.

I nodded, smiled and gestured for him to go on.

"I am a vampire King, Sookie. Specifically, I am King of the Louisiana territories." Eric stated, with a bit of apprehension displayed on his beautiful face.

"Go on." Was the only response I could muster at the moment.

"I have been king of the kingdom of Louisiana for 153 years." Eric stated as a matter of fact. "I, like regents across the nation, am in charge of all vampire matters within my territory." He continued, and then waited for my response.

"Okay..." I started, unsure of what I wanted to say. "If vampires are this organized and you are king, then what should I infer from our interactions? 'Cause Eric, I have to say that I...well, this feels so different than anything else." I finished lamely gesturing between us.

"Sookie...first...never, ever, address me as 'Your Majesty' or bow before me again. It feels perverse and wrong." Eric stated with certainty yet a bit of confusion flashing in his eyes.

With a deep, unneeded breath he continued, "Yes, I am King Eric Alexander Northman, Vampire regent of Louisiana, and I have held this office for the last 153 years."

"Alright," I said calmly and then continued, "So, what does this change?" I presented a very calm exterior, but was quaking internally wondering what he would say.

"It changes nothing, Sookie." Eric stated, staring into my eyes. "Except, maybe, we can start to understand each other better. I don't know what it is about you, little one, but I want to find out." He concluded with a note of determination in his voice and lust in his eyes.

"It has been centuries since anyone has held my interest, and never in the way you do. I'm sorry to be so blunt but I've never cared for anyone for more than a feed and a fuck, but you Sookie...you are different in so many ways; I want more from you, I want us to get to know each other and see more of one another.

I didn't know what to say to that, and to tell the truth, I really didn't know if I could believe it. But something inside of me told me to trust it...to go with it.

"But..." he started, faltering, then continuing after taking a moment to collect himself, shaking his head, "But you must realize that, as much as I detest the idea, my subjects will expect a certain amount of deference from you if we are to be together as I would like."

With a look of incredulity on my face, I was about to protest stubbornly when he cut me off "But I don't want to send the wrong message about you. Sookie...you're different, and I'm different with you. Humans are generally considered pets in my world, but I do not want that kind of relationship with you. I would like to continue as we are...as equals." He paused then continued after a moment's thought, "I would like it very much if you were to simply call me by my first name in public. No one but other regents, those that are older than me or people close to me is permitted to do so." He said while looking at me intensely.

"Okay...so, you want me to address you as I have since I've learned your name, right?" I asked uncertain and he nodded his confirmation. "So...nothing changes?" I continued, "We just go on as if you weren't king, or rather, as if I didn't know the difference?"

"Exactly, little one." He responded while lifting his hand to stroke my cheek again. "I have always made my own rules, and this circumstance is no different."

"So, now what?" I asked, still unsure.

He said nothing, but rather bent to lick my lips across their length and kiss me deeply.

Once he had his fill, he straightened and said with mischief in his eyes, "Now, we go celebrate my child's 300th birthday, and you dance with me."

All I could do is offer a genuine smile and say "I'd love to."

We reentered the bar, my hand firmly in his once again and spotted Pam and Amelia on the dance floor. They were swaying together sensuously to Joss Stone's "The Chockin' Kind" and the song was just hitting its last few notes.

As we approached the dance floor, "Fuego!" by Murder by Death started playing and Eric spun me out onto the floor. It's a faster song and I was impressed that a 1000 year old vampire could move so gracefully in time with the music. Now, I can't sing and I have very little talent for much else, but I can dance and I was impressed that a 6'5" man could look good while moving with me.

Changing from a position with my back against his front as the second verse began; Pam and Amelia caught my attention as they were engrossed in each other and the music. Pam was levitating above the dance floor with a look of smug triumph on her face and Amelia was laughing in a way that I hadn't had the pleasure yet to see. She was enthralled by the music and (I assume) the sensation of floating, and had the biggest, most genuine smile on her face possible.

I turned my attention back to Eric who had his face buried in my hair at my neck and I started moving more deliberately. Until he started speaking the words along with the refrain:

"Baby it's been so long, that even the rose's hips are turnin' me on, baby it's been so long...I want you...I want you." And he continued to lead me in provocative cha-cha inspired movements until the vocals started again and his movements slowed while he began to speak the lyrics again softly in my ear, "The heat floats on top of our skin, like an ice cube in a glass of gin...I can't even hear the words you say, I need to leave, but I want to stay...baby it's been so long, that even the rose's hips are turnin' me on, baby it's been so long..."

I couldn't take my eyes off of his as we continued to move, he leading me seductively until he pulled my body back against his as the last verse started and he continued to sing:

"I get the feeling if I stay with you, you'll never let me go...I want you."

Regardless of how engrossed I was in our dance that seemed to say more than mere words, it was impossible to miss the jealously-irate looks and thoughts of the fangbangers witnessing our display. If I'm totally honest with myself, it made me feel powerful, sexy and privileged. Everyone wanted Eric and everyone wanted to be me. What a head trip!

As the song ended, Eric dropped me into a deep dip across his thigh and softly kissed my lips. When I was once again upright, we headed back to the reserved booths with Pam and Amelia.

We had worked up an appetite dancing, so Amelia and I decided to check out the buffet that Pam provided for her guests. A large, three-tiered blood fountain was set up at one end of the buffet table and at the other was a comparably large three-tiered red velvet cake with pink icing. The combination of colors made the cake vaguely resemble bleeding flesh, so it gave a certain sense of symmetry to the entire display.

Whomever Pam hired to cater the party did a wonderful job. While the food was mostly hors d'oeuvres and finger sandwiches, there were verities to suit everyone's tastes...vegetarian, spicy, savory, sweet and plain. Amelia and I both had a bit of each as we had only had a light dinner at home before we dressed.

With plates in hand, we made our way back to the table and arrived at the same time as a very large, very handsome man and pretty and athletic-looking woman. The man was about 6'2" with short, dark curly hair and a well-trimmed beard. His eyes were almost emerald green and were framed with thick dark lashes. The woman was only slightly taller than me and had shoulder length dark, curly hair and dark eyes. What really interested me were their brain patterns; they were two of the weres that I had picked up on earlier.

As Amelia and I sat, the weres nodded to Eric and stood at attention. "Sir," the male started, "as you asked I have established a rotation of guards for your daytime needs. Your home and businesses will be sufficiently protected, the details of which I have sent to you in an encrypted file."

"Very good, Herveaux." Eric answered. "Sookie, Amelia, I would like you to meet my head of daytime security Alcide Herveaux, and his lieutenant, Maria Star Cooper."

"It's very nice to meet you both." I replied with a friendly smile. "Yes, it's nice to make your acquaintance." Amelia agreed.

Alcide and Maria Star returned our pleasantries, then Alcide cleared his throat and addressed Pam, "Happy birthday, Ms. Ravenscroft" and with that he nodded to Eric and stated that they were returning to their posts.

"So ladies now that we have a moment to chat, how long have you known each other?" Eric asked with a small smile on his face. "I'm guessing Pam likes the products your store offers?"

"Yes Master, I do." Pam answered his last question first and then continued in a purr looking at Amelia "but it's really the help that keeps me returning." After a brief but heated stare, she continued "Amelia and I have been flirting for a couple of weeks, but our first date was the night you returned with the drainer."

This exchange, of course, sent me into a fit of giggles. Pam straightened and continued the conversation, "Master, you said earlier that Sookie was responsible for apprehending our drainer friend, but how did that happen?"

"Pepper spray, self-defense courses, and his-own baseball bat, of course!" I answered with a sly smile on my face. I was hoping that she didn't ask for a play-by-play because I didn't want to start telling lies that I would have to keep track of. As much as I like Pam and as completely enamored I am with Eric, Mr. C's warning earlier this evening made me hesitant to trust them with my secret yet.

After a few more hours of talking, dancing, and having the best night out I've ever had Amelia released a huge yawn.

"Well, I guess it's about time we think about heading home, so I'm going to run to the back to call for a cab." I said, trying to keep the sadness of ending the night out of my voice while I stood.

"No, wait!" Pam exclaimed, more animated than I've ever seen her. "There's something I have to show you first! Follow me!"

Eric's eyebrow raised a little, but other than that, he showed no expression. I got the distinct impression that he didn't know what Pam had in mind.

Pam led us all through the employee area, past Eric's office, and out the back door. Before any of us could question her, she began with her words directed at Eric;

"Maxwell will be closing the bar tonight; he is already aware of this responsibility."

Eric nodded and motioned for her to continue explaining her obviously unfinished plan.

"So I thought that we could take Amelia and Sookie home ourselves." Pam finished with a broad smile on her face as she scooped Amelia up in her arms bridal style and hovered a couple of feet off of the ground.

"My child!" Eric exclaimed in surprise. "You can fly! When did this happen?" He asked, beaming, as he floated above the ground and tenderly kissed Pam's forehead.

"Only tonight, Master." She answered with a prideful smile. "So I thought that we could deliver our dates to their home together.

"Absolutely!" Eric replied emphatically as he returned to my side to scoop me up the same way Pam had Amelia.

I couldn't help but to smile at the look of pure, unadulterated pride on his face, regardless of my uncertainty of flying. Before I could think further on the subject, we were all more than 40 feet above the ground, speeding toward Cross Lake.

It only took me a moment to adjust to the idea that we were flying, and since I trusted Eric not to drop me, I really started enjoying myself. It was another wonderfully clear night, and the waning moon was bright overhead, as were the stars. I looked at Eric and he was staring raptly at my face.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"Nothing, Sookie. Well, it's not nothing really. There is such joy and wonderment on your face right now and it is the most beautiful I've ever seen you."

Well color me speechless! I couldn't think of a response, so I simply leaned up and placed a grateful kiss on his cheek.

It didn't take us long at all to arrive home; it was a lot quicker than driving because of the lack of traffic or red lights.

Once the four of us were safely on the ground, Eric sniffed the air while turning in a full circle, "there is very strong magic on this land, where did you find a witch this powerful? This is very, very impressive!" he said waving his arm around.

I knew it wasn't my place to reveal Amelia's secret so I just looked over to her to see what her reply would be. She took a deep breath and replied shyly, "Why don't ya'll come on in and I will explain everything to you?"

Eric and Pam looked at each other then shrugged their shoulders and walked towards the door. I laughed internally at how they looked and acted in sync with one another; it just shows how long they have been with each other.

Amelia unlocked the door and we all went into the living room. I was the first to speak, "I'm sorry we don't have any true blood to offer you, but I'm going to get a drink, Amelia would you like an ice tea?" Amelia nodded yes and I headed to the kitchen.

When I walked back into the living room, Amelia and Pam were on one sofa holding hands while Eric was sitting on the other with his legs stretched out in front of him. He had removed his jacket and had his arms tucked behind his head, displaying his arm and chest muscles as they strained against his shirt. I may have been admiring his muscles a little too long as he smirked, wiggled his eyebrows and patted the seat at his side for me to join him. I handed Amelia her drink and sat down. As soon as I had, he pulled me closer to him and put his arm around my shoulders; I smiled and leaned into him, resting my head against his chest.

I could sense that Amelia was nervous about telling Eric and Pam that she was a witch. She was worried that they wouldn't accept her and it would be over between her and Pam. Despite her fears, she straightened her back, squared her shoulders and took the bull by the horns, "It was me, I'm a witch and the magic you detected are protective spells. If anyone means harm to me or Sookie they won't be able to get onto the property." She stated proudly.

It was silent for a minute or two and I could see by Eric's face that he was in deep thought. Finally he smiled at Amelia saying, "Amelia these are some seriously strong wards that you have cast. I would like to make you an offer."

Eric paused to let this sink in for Amelia before he continued, "I'd like you to ward all my houses the same way you have this house, and I'd like to discuss wards you could place on my businesses as well. Of course you would be paid generously and I would have my lawyer draw up a contract. Can I ask why you don't use your magic to make a living?"

Amelia was smiling ear to ear now, "I would be more than happy to take the job. As for me making a living with my magic, I guess it's because I don't have enough contacts in the supe world. Hell, you, Pam and my mentor are the only supes that know that I'm a witch."

Once again Eric took on a look of concentration before replying, "Well I have many contacts in the supe world; especially with vampires, and many are royalty. I am in fact the vampire king of Louisiana…" that is as far as Amelia allowed Eric to go before she jumped to her feet yelling excitedly, "Shut the fuck up… are you shittin' me? I have a KING in my home?"

At first I felt Eric tense at Amelia's little outburst, then his smile grew and he let out a belly laugh to which me and Pam joined in, once he was calm he looked at Amelia before continuing, "No Amelia I am not shitting you, I am the king of all vampires in Louisiana. However like I was saying… I have many contacts; very rich contacts who I know would be willing to pay a high price for magic as strong as yours. I defiantly want you to work for me but I also have another offer. I could be your agent of sorts...you know, put the word out of what you can do and line up jobs for you. If I were your agent I would also put you under my protection. I fear without it you would be at great risk because others would want you for themselves. We would have a contract with your wishes and mine. But I would insist that contracts made up which others would have to agree to and sign before they could use your services." Eric was in full business mode now.

Amelia ran everything over in her mind before replying, "Eric I would love to use my skills for income, but I do have some questions. First, how would the contract work? I wouldn't want to be out of Louisiana for long periods of time. Also, could I refuse jobs that I don't agree with or that I find are too far from home? Can I choose when I go on jobs?"

"Amelia you can decide on anything you like. It will be up to you to accept or refuse jobs. I will be there to advise you if I don't think someone is trustworthy. I have a private jet that I don't use very often, so that would be at your disposal for whenever you need to travel; unless I'm in need of it of course. You can go to a job, finish it and return home right away or you can choose to stay to do some sightseeing. I would also be providing you with bodyguards when you go on jobs. All that I ask in return is 10% of what you make and that my allies or vampires under my rule get priority over everyone else." Eric looked down at me then kissed the top of my head while squeezing my shoulder to let me know I wasn't forgotten while they were discussing business.

"That sounds fair to me. As long as it is me who gets the last say in everything I'm happy to go ahead with this." Amelia said, full of joy. "But," she continued hesitantly, "Are you certain that 10% is enough? You are granting me use of your plane and guards."

"Absolutely certain. I want you to be able to make a living with this, and to tell you the truth, 10% will be more than enough with what you will be making." Eric answered resolutely.

"Well let me go make the phone call to my lawyer and get things set up. I'm sure he can have the contract written up by tomorrow." With that Eric got up and went to the kitchen for some privacy.

Amelia was absolutely giddy now at the prospect of using her magic more often. Pam, Amelia and I sat chatting about all of the possibilities of Amelia's new career for a couple of minutes then Pam said to Amelia, "I must say Amelia I like what I've seen of where you live, but it's just a little short on privacy." Pam wiggled her eyebrows while saying this. "If you like, we could go to my place for the night for some privacy to get to know each other better?"

Amelia blushed but I'm sure my blush was more evident. Talk about being the third wheel; the odd one out. _"I really shouldn't be in the room while they have this conversation" _I thought to myself.

"I'd love to sweetie, how far is it to your place?" Amelia answered.

"Oh, it's not too far from here. I live in the palace with Eric as I'm his second in command so that requires me to be there often." Pam replied.

"_Thank my lucky stars" _I thought as Eric chose that moment to come back in and sit beside me on the sofa.

"Sorry about that, ladies. What did I miss?" Eric stated while pulling me back into his side and placing his arm around my shoulders once again.

"I just asked Amelia to stay over at the palace for the night and she agreed. There are plenty of spare rooms she can choose from. I feel we should get to know each other a little better." It was obvious she was happy that Amelia agreed by the smile on her face as she spoke to her maker.

Eric just nodded his head then looked down at me before saying, "Sookie, you are more than welcome to come along if you like. You wouldn't be alone here and like Pam said we have plenty of guest rooms. You and Amelia could even take advantage of the sauna and maybe take a walk around the grounds tomorrow? I've heard it is very relaxing and quiet. There is also a small indoor and a larger outdoor swimming pool you can use."

I could hear clearly that Amelia really wanted to go; she likes Pam a lot and is ready to have some private time with her. I could tell she also felt bad about leaving me and would love it if I came along.

If I'm honest with myself I want to go along as well. I know there are still a few hours until dawn and I want to spend more time with Eric. With that thought I smile up to Eric and reply, "That's very kind of you Eric, I'd love to! I need run upstairs and pack some things for tomorrow and we can be on our way."

Eric nodded yes so me and Amelia left Pam and Eric in the living room and went to our bedrooms to pack. I grabbed my toiletries and some clothes along with lingerie, nightgown and a bathing suit and put them in a bag and headed back downstairs. Amelia was already packed and waiting so I motioned for us to leave. Everyone got up and headed for the door; I grabbed my purse, house keys and car keys and followed behind locking the house up.

"I'd like to take my car if ya'll don't mind so that I'll have it to drive me and Amelia to work tomorrow night." I mentioned and everyone agreed.

I walked over to my car and opened the trunk to put our bags in then turned to unlock the door. Eric and Pam had stopped walking and had disgusted looks on their faces. Pam was the first to speak, "I am NOT going anywhere in that." She spat waving her arm towards my car.

"Well you're more than welcome to fly Pam! I'm sorry I don't have something that you approve of but it's my car and I like it! It gets me where I need to go and that is fine by me." I said a little disgruntled. I know my little Malibu isn't the best of cars and it isn't flashy for that matter, but it's what I can afford and it suits me just fine.

Eric laughed at his child's little show but I could tell he felt pretty much the same but was too kind to mention it. _"Why would he be Sookie? He is a king! I bet he has the most expensive cars possible. He does have a Corvette and private jet after all. What's to say he doesn't have a personal driver who drives him around in a limo?"_ I questioned myself.

"Oh Pam pull up your big girl pants and get in will you. Not everyone is spoilt like you." Eric said while getting in the front passenger seat.

Pam huffed and tutted while stamping her feet walking towards my car but she did climb in the back beside Amelia eventually.

Eric directed me to the palace while Pam sat silently in the back with her arms crossed, sulking. I wasn't offended anymore by Pam's actions; I actually had to hide the smirk on my face at seeing her act this way.

We soon pulled up to an ornate set of wrought iron gates, and two very large vampires approached the car with looks of disgust on their faces...until they saw that Eric was in the car.

"Good evening, Majesty. Please drive through, ma'am." the vampire closest to the car stated with contrite confusion.

The driveway was hundreds of yards long and the palace only came into view within the last fifty yards. The driveway led to a reception area to the left of the house where guards and butlers waited to greet us. After they offered Eric a bow, and informed us that they would put the car in the garage and return my keys later, they led our party along a short winding path to the front entrance.

It was magnificent! The palace was of the Greek revival style favored in Southern plantations and was butter yellow with six enormous white Greek columns that reached two stories in height. A third floor was also evident, but was half the width of the rest of the building. The double doors were also flanked by Greek style columns that reached the top of the first story and the effect was stunning.

Well, that's what I thought until the butler opened the front doors to the grand foyer and I was literally stunned. Directly across from the front doors was a well-proportioned curved double staircase that led to the second floor. It featured ornate wrought iron handrails that echoed the design of the front gates and a lovely intricate brass and crystal chandelier situated perfectly on the ceiling in between the stair cases. The floors that spanned the entryway, sitting room to the left and living room to the right, were a beautiful cream marble with tan and beige accents. The walls were painted light beige and the pocket doors, baseboards, and crown molding were crisp white.

I was brought out of my admiration of the entryway when Eric addressed the butler,

"Rockne, I'd like to introduce our guests, Miss Sookie Stackhouse and Miss Amelia Broadway. You should inform the rest of the staff that they are to be treated and obeyed as family."

With Eric's orders given, Rockne asked permission to take our bags upstairs, nodded to us all and started up the stairs.

"Let me show you around a bit." Eric stated then pointed to the left, "This is the formal sitting room and through there is the formal dining room that connects to the kitchen. To the right is the living room which connects to the family dining room and parlor."

Both of the rooms that were visible from where we stood were opulently appointed in a style and in colors that perfectly suited the architecture of the house, yet with a modern twist.

"Come this way." Eric said, placing a hand on the small of my back, leading us under the stairs, through to the back of the house. There we entered the incredible chef's kitchen. It had all top-of-the-line, professional grade Viking appliances, white cabinetry with black and grey granite counter tops and a two-tiered, L shaped island with integral wine cooler.

"Beautiful!" Was all I could force myself to say in response to all that I'd seen.

"And through these doors is the back patio and swimming pool." Eric said as he opened the French-style doors.

The pool was unbelievable. It was Olympic-sized with an integral hot tub and a recession at the stairs designed for the placement of lounge chairs in the shallow water.

"Over there is the summer kitchen," Eric said as he pointed to the left. Then, as he pointed to the right he informed us "over there is the night-blooming garden and paths that lead to the guard and guest houses as well as the garage. You are welcome to explore the property to your heart's desire during the day tomorrow. The grounds and gardens extend quite a distance in every direction...the property is a total of 92 acres and the boundaries are fenced off, so you won't get lost." He finished with a smile.

Eric led us back inside and up a rear stairwell to the second floor. "This floor contains eight bedrooms, each with their own integral bath. You can each have your own room or share this one." He said as he opened the door to a beautiful room with twin beds. It was decorated in tones of white, had an enormous built-in book case, flat screen TV, and windows dressed with layers of white sheers.

"Why don't we just share this room so that we can wake up and explore together?" Amelia asked and I easily agreed.

"Well then, let me show you my office, library and conference room and then we can all settle in for the day?" Eric suggested.

We agreed and were led to the other end of the hall where there was another staircase ascending to the third floor.

"There is an elevator that traverses all of the floors for convenience, but it's rarely used for anything other than moving cleaning supplies or furniture." Eric informed us as we entered his library.

The library also doubled as a conference room and featured two long tables with twelve chairs each, floor to ceiling book shelves, and antique chandeliers hanging from a gilt tray ceiling.

"I believe it was modeled after a room of the New York City Library" Eric stated as he led the way into his personal office.

His office reflected his personality, and, I suspect his heritage, more than the style of the house. It featured rough stone walls with a built in fire place, walnut floors and tray ceiling, bookshelves, over-sized desk with a leather executive chair and matching leather guest chairs. French doors opened to a rooftop garden which featured more night-blooming flowers, a seating area, and a stand-alone patio fireplace.

I have never imagined a home such as this. I've dreamed of extravagance, and as a child I dreamed of owning my own home like Tara, the one in Gone with the Wind, but this surpasses my wildest imagination.

"Eric, I can't believe this place. It is so incredibly beautiful! You have great taste!" I complemented him.

"No, Pam has great taste." Eric responded. "She took on the task of decorating this place when I bought it, and she really did do a wonderful job...when she paid attention to my stipulations."

"It was imperative that the furnishings and decorations suit the home, Eric. You know that. If I'd let you do what you wanted, this place would be decorated to suit a Manhattan penthouse bachelor pad!" Pam responded indignantly.

"Like I said Pam, you did a wonderful job, just as you do with all you set your mind to."Eric responded to placate her sensitivity.

Just then we reached the second floor and Pam and Amelia continued down the stairs. "Let's get you settled in." Eric stated as he led me by my arm into the room Amelia and I were to share.

Our bags were in the room, one at the foot of each bed, and the covers were turned down. Fresh flowers had been placed on the nightstands since we first viewed the room and the blinds had been drawn.

"I'm going to freshen-up and change real quick. Which door is the bathroom?" I asked as I rummaged in my bag for my night clothes and toiletries.

"The one on the left. Do you want to watch a movie?

"No...it's not necessary. I'd just like to spend some time with you." I replied, blushing.

"Hurry back." Was Eric's only response, his voice deeper than usual.

The bathroom was just as impressive as the rest of the house, featuring a sunk-in tub and wall length shower, all tiled in shades of beige and white. As much as I would like to soak in that amazing tub, I hurriedly took care of my bladder, washed my face, brushed my teeth and changed into my nightgown. It was baby-pink satin with ivory lace and was one of my favorites. Maybe it was a little revealing, but sue me...I wanted to look good.

When I returned to the room, the lights were turned low and Eric was waiting for me on my bed with the sheets pulled back. My God! What a sight!

"Do you like it here? I'd love it if you wanted to spend more time with me here." Eric confessed with a bit of shyness: a trait I would never have contributed to that God of a man.

"Yes, of course! It's absolutely beautiful but not stuffy. Pam really did do a great job." I answered sincerely.

"Good, I hoped you'd feel that way." He replied as he kissed my cheek.

We sat in a comfortable silence, Eric spooning me from behind as I lay on my side. Soon I broke the silence.

"Where do you sleep?" I blurted out unthinkingly. "No, never-mind, forget I asked. I didn't mean to be so nosey." I stated, severely blushing before he could answer.

With a quiet chuckle that seem to reverberate down my spine Eric readily replied, "Pam and I have suites below the surface. Together they span the length of the house, except for the small area dedicated to the indoor pool which is completely cut off from our suited. I know you won't tell anyone...don't worry so much. The entrance is hidden and is protected with the latest high-tech security measures.

"Oh, okay. I really didn't mean to ask. I've never had a very good brain to mouth filter." I replied.

"Don't worry about it. I hope that one day you will stay there with me." He said quietly as he caressed my arm then entwined our fingers. I rolled onto my back so that I could see his face and replied, "I hope so too."

Eric leaned in to kiss me and no more words were spoken for some time. We explored each other's bodies, keeping it as PG as possible, and I unconsciously tangled my fingers into his hair, holding his face to mine. A short while later Eric broke our kisses and looked into my eyes as he gently stroked my face.

"Sookie, I can tell you're tired and it's nearing the dawn...you should try to get some sleep."

"Will you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep, I mean." I asked nervously."

"Of course lover. There is no place I'd rather be."

"Alright." I said, resigned that the night was coming to an end. "I'll see you before we leave for work tomorrow."

"Yes, you certainly will. If you need anything tomorrow, dial "1" from any phone and Rockne will take care of you, okay?" I nodded my affirmative response and softly kissed his lips again.

"Goodnight my Sookie." Were the last words spoken before I drifted to sleep.

I think I heard Amelia come as the sun was rising, but I wasn't sure. I'd find out and tease her about it tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 6

******Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris. We are just playing!******

Chapter 6

When I woke up the next morning it was already 10.40 and the feeling of the sun shining through the windows was amazing. At first I was a little disorientated, but after looking around and seeing Amelia in the bed adjacent to mine my mind quickly caught up and started remembering last night.

I sat up in bed and sighed feeling so relaxed. _"I can't remember sleeping so soundly and being so content in my whole life!"_ I thought to myself smiling. Falling asleep in Eric's arms last night felt so good, if I had a choice I wouldn't fall asleep any other way ever again.

After sitting for a while I stretched and got out of bed to have a shower while I waited for Amelia to wake up. Once I was dressed and had brushed my teeth I went back into the bedroom and Amelia was sitting up in bed looking very satisfied and happy.

"You dirty stop out you! What time did you get back missy…just before dawn, was it? I vaguely remember you coming in the room while I was sleeping."

"Yeah it was just before dawn. I got back the same time that a sexy tall blonde dead guy was leaving the room smiling like a Cheshire cat." She retaliated smirking as she knew now I couldn't tease her any longer.

"What? He stayed so long? He said he would lay with me until I fell asleep…it only took me minutes to drop off! He must have laid there for about an hour… ohmygod he must have been so bored!" I felt a bit shocked and guilty that Eric had stayed so long.

"Well he sure didn't look bored when he was leaving" she said with a wink "actually I would say he looked pretty happy with himself if you know what I'm saying…" I can't believe it… she actually stuck her tongue out at me! Taking a quick peek into her mind I see why she seems so smug!

"OH! Amelia no! I did not have sex with Eric. You can get that out of your head right this minute girl! We had a lovely night, but it never went any further than kissing and cuddling." I quickly said to put the record straight. What I find quite bizarre was the fact that when I said this I felt sad…? Does that mean that after only 3 times of seeing Eric I'm ready to give myself to him? I've never yet met a guy who I've wanted or been able to go any further than a kiss with… am I really ready to give Eric my virginity?

"I'm sorry if I took things the wrong way Sookie! It's just… well… seeing someone looking that happy is normally a sign of having just had a whole lot of good lovin'. But if you say you didn't then I believe you. If you make him that happy with a kiss and cuddle I can't even begin to imagine what he would be like after sex!" Suddenly she had a dreamy look in her eyes, "I gotta say though Sook… vampire sex… WOW! Last night was the best night of my LIFE! I could have died last night and I would have died a happy lady!"

"I'm happy you had such a mind blowing night Amelia, but can we please drop this conversation now… we have a palace to explore! Can you believe this place? Can you believe that we're actually here? It's amazing! Are you hungry?" She nodded yes.

"Well go get ready and I will call down to ask for some breakfast."

Amelia went into the bathroom and I picked up the phone and dialed '1' just like Eric had told me to last night.

"Hello Rockne speaking." He answered on the second ring.

"Hey Rockne its Sookie, we met last night. Would it be too much trouble to have the chef make me and Amelia some breakfast?"

"Of course it wouldn't be too much trouble Ms Stackhouse. What would you ladies like?"

"Uhm we don't want to be any trouble, Rockne. Pancakes or bacon and sausage would be great; something easy for the chef." I replied hating that I was putting people out.

"I'm sure chef won't mind. If you want to come down to the family dining room in say… 20 minutes your breakfast will be served."

"Thank you, Rockne. We will see you shortly, bye now."

I had showered but not bothered washing my hair so I ran my brush through it and tied it in a messy bun. I didn't bother with makeup because I know at some point today me and Amelia will go in the sauna or swimming pool, maybe even both.

Amelia was soon ready and we headed down the grand stairway for breakfast, on the way she told me that when she had seen Eric at dawn he had said his lawyer would be here with the contracts tonight and his lawyer was actually Mr. C who I was speaking to last night.

We were greeted at the dining room by Rockne and he held out our chairs for us to sit. While we had met the butler when we came in last night, I only now took a good look at him. He was a handsome man with dark auburn hair that was practically dark brown and I could tell that his hair had been bright reddish-orange in his youth if the color of his eyebrows and mustache were any indication. I estimated his age to be in his early sixties as evidenced by the years on his face, but he was aging well; only a smidge of grey hair was visible at his temples.

I had asked for something that wouldn't put the chef out and what we got was more like a buffet! There was sausage, bacon, and eggs (scrambled and sunny side up) in one dish, with hash browns, a plate of toast and biscuits to be served with the eggs or sausage gravy that filled a lovely gravy boat, and there was also a platter of freshly sliced fruit as well as a selection of cereals with a cold jug of milk. For drinks there was a carafe of coffee, a pitcher of ice water along with a pitcher of fresh orange juice.

"Rockne this all looks amazing. Will you thank the chef for us please? Tell him he really didn't need to go to all this trouble but we sure do appreciate it." I said while taking in all the food that was here and making my mouth water.

"Of course Ms Stackhouse, we hope you enjoy your meal. Just ring that bell there if any of you ladies require anything else. Once you are finished, feel free to roam around the palace. Mr. Northman has assigned two guards to you and Ms. Broadway. They are outside the door and will introduce themselves once you are finished." With that Rockne gave us a nod and left us to eat our breakfast.

We filled our plates and I took the time while we ate to lower my shields. First I came upon the 2 guards waiting just outside the dining room like Rockne had said; they were both were's. I found Rockne and who I'm guessing is the chef in the kitchen. From their minds I could tell that the chef was happy we were impressed by the food and Rockne was busy telling him about me and Amelia; so I stayed there to see what he made of us.

"_I can tell they're special guests and deserve to be treated as such. They are lovely southern girls who have manners and act like ladies, unlike the low-life's that live out back and throw themselves at the vampires craving their attentions." _He was saying. I guessed by his use of the term 'low-life's' that there must be live-in donors.

I then cast my mental net out further and came across 8 more weres who were stationed around the perimeter of the palace and several more scattered around the grounds.

I could sense two voids below ground that I knew had to be Eric and Pam as they rested for the day. Around 50 meters to the east of the palace I picked up another twelve voids which would more than likely be the nighttime guards.

Then I found the 'low-life's' in a group out back. Through the minds of the donors, I could see they were all in one big room that was just like a dorm you would find when you went to camp with school. It has bunk beds around the room and some of the donors have pictures on the wall by their beds. Most of the donors were still asleep which I guess is normal because I'm sure they'd all keep vampire hours. It looked like there were around thirty donors all of whom are human, both male and female.

Most of the thoughts of the donors who were already awake all seemed to revolve around the same things; vampires and sex. _"I hope I get chosen tonight, I could really use a good time!" "Last night was amazing, that guard was hot!"_ _"Damn, why'd he pick her, I've been here longer!" _were just some of the thoughts running circles in their minds. The thoughts also came with pictures which were not nice to see at any time of day, let alone while eating breakfast.

I pulled out of their heads as quick as I could but found a woman who was in another big room that was set up with sofa's, book shelves, a huge plasma television on the wall, and some computers. I think it must be the donors living area. What caught my attention was the desperate, praying and pleading in her mind.

_"God, it's me, Stacey. Please tell me what to do! How can they really be as deserving of death as the Reverend says? I don't believe that they are as evil as we were told. They have been nothing but kind and accommodating...especially Bill. He's come to me several times and has never treated me badly like the guys at the church. He's almost sweet...compassionate. He shows interest in what I really want to do with my life and doesn't ridicule or belittle my dreams. I want to see him again. God please tell me the right thing to do! I don't think I can follow through with the Fellowship's plans...I don't think they're right in their beliefs anymore! Josephine and Samuel are still as committed as ever, but how can they be here and not question what we were sent to do?"_

I started breathing heavily, feeling the blood drain from my face as I went numb and dropped my fork full of hash browns.

"Sook! What's wrong sweetie? Are you okay?" Amelia asked in a near panic.

"No, Ames. I need to talk to you...now! Can you play Hermione and cast something so we aren't heard " I whispered desperately as softly as I could, hoping the weres couldn't hear me now.

"Okay darlin', if you're finished eating, let's go back to our room for a minute. I want to change my shoes before we check out the grounds." Amelia said at a normal volume, providing us with a believable excuse.

With that we stood and began making our way toward the doors arm and arm, Amelia reassuring me mentally _"it will be okay, just stay calm until we can get upstairs."_

"Ok let's go" I said hoping I sounded normal.

Amelia opened the door and the guards were the two weres we'd met last night at the party; Alcide and Maria Star. We exchanged greetings and told them we were heading up to our room to change. On our way Alcide explained they were to guard Amelia and me until Eric and/or Pam were here. He told us that there was no expected trouble but with Eric being king they always have to be on guard and expect the unexpected. I could fully understand that especially after what I had just learnt from the donors mind. Once we got to our room Maria said they would be waiting outside our door for us until we were ready to go elsewhere.

As soon as we were inside Amelia took hold of my wrist and walked me over to one of the beds. We sat and I heard her mumbling something so quiet I couldn't make out what it was, and as soon as she was finished she spoke at normal volume. "Ok Sook, it's ok to talk now. No-one but us will hear a word spoken in here." Waving her arm to tell me the room was now soundproof.

I explained everything I had heard from the donors head about her being a spy for the Fellowship of the Sun as well as two others, how she was now second guessing herself and thinking that vampires really weren't all that bad and how she was asking God for help.

After sitting for a while in silence Amelia finally spoke "Sookie this could be really serious… as I see it you only have two options… you can keep it to yourself and hope that they get found out by one of the vampires, or you can tell Eric about your skill and inform him of the Fellowship's plans. Do you trust Eric? Do you think he would keep your secret? In my opinion I think he would be even more amazed by you. He took my being a witch really well and hell… he even gave me a job and offer of his protection. I'm sure if you wanted, he would give you exactly the same. Girl you were given telepathy for a reason, maybe this is it?"

"Yes I do trust Eric; with my life even. I'm positive if I wanted this kept secret he would find a way to keep it that way yet still reveal all the spies at the other monarchs residences to keep them safe. But I'm not sure if I could use my curse to make a living on a daily basis Amelia. I've spent my whole life hating what I can do; always hiding it. People have always thought of me as 'crazy Sookie, and I'm just so scared that even more people will think the same!" I was now fighting back the tears; Amelia moved forward and pulled me into a hug.

"Shhh... Sookie, everything will be fine, you have the whole day to think about what you need to do."

I took a deep breath to stop the unshed tears falling and sat back, "You're right Amelia, and I will keep my shields low and see what else I can get from the other two once they wake up. Let's get our swimsuits on and go have a steam in the sauna, I could really do with some relaxing now."

We got changed into our swimsuits; mine a black and white polka dot bikini with a matching cover-up and Amelia's a plain black bikini with a black cover-up.

Alcide and Maria showed us to the sauna which was enormous; it could sit at least 25 people comfortably. Once inside I heard Amelia mumbling again and she told me we could speak freely if need be.

I concentrated on the back of the house where I knew the donors' dorm is and found that more of them were awake, but Josephine was still sleeping and the woman from the Fellowship that I had heard earlier had also gone back to sleep.

"Samuel is awake but Josephine and Stacey are asleep. He isn't thinking about much; just that he wishes he was getting out of this "God forsaken" place soon. He hates being around the 'bloodsuckers' and their 'evil ways' and thinks that the fangbangers are just as bad. He doesn't care what happens to the humans when they follow through with their plans to kill the vampires, he thinks the humans who associate with vampires deserve to die as much as the vampires do." I said shaking my head.

"Amelia, how can people say they are followers of God yet be so inherently cruel? Some of the things they have planned or want to do to vampires are disgusting. God would never want anyone; vampire or human, to suffer the way the Fellowship thinks that they should. They really are sick and they call themselves Christians? My Gran would be appalled!"

My anger was rising now and I knew I had to calm myself before I did something I would regret, so I closed my eyes and brought my shields in as tight as I could get them.

"Sweetie, these bigots believe their delusions: that by lashing out this way they will make the world a better place! If you ask me, most of the people who are members of the stupid group are brainwashed by that so-called Reverend, Steve Newlin, and his wife. I've seen them on TV spouting all their bullshit about vampires. It's the vampires I feel sorry for. Every instinct they have ever had since their turning is surely screaming at them to take out the Fellowship. But what would that help? Nothing that's what! It would turn more people against the vampires and a new group would be created. If you really want to help the vampires you could by using your skill. Sweetie, you could help a lot of vampires by finding spies and I bet you would save a lot of lives. The vampires have shown a lot of restraint by not killing everyone that they come across that is a member of the fellowship, but how much further can the fellowship push the vampires before they retaliate? I bet that is what the fellowship wants… for the vampires to go on a rampage to prove they are 'spawn of the devil' and dammed by God."

I sat for a long time in silence just thinking over what Amelia said. I fully agreed with her and thought of ways I could help. Just the thought of any vampire suffering at the hands of these people made me feel physically ill. It was even worse to think that the vampires they could get to could include Eric and Pam. With that thought I knew what had to be done. I just wish I didn't have to wait so long to get the ball rolling.

Now I knew what I had to do, I felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders and that my head was a lot clearer. I told Amelia my plans and we enjoyed the rest of our sauna.

"Rockne has asked me to ask if you would like some lunch now ladies." Alcide asked when we opened the door to the sauna.

"That sounds nice...just something light. I couldn't handle anything heavy after that huge breakfast!" Amelia answered.

"Ok let me make a call and let him know. He said chef was already preparing lunch for you both and the donors. If you ladies want to shower then we can take you to the dining room." Alcide replied absently.

"You two will join us wont you? Surely there's no need to stand guard while we eat. The two of you must be starving; you haven't eaten since before we had our breakfast." I asked Alcide and Maria.

"Sorry no can do, two other guards will take over from us while we grab a quick lunch in an hour or so. You are guests and we are staff' we don't eat in the dining room. We bring our lunch with us and eat it out in the guard's hut." Maria answered this time.

I couldn't understand why they couldn't just join us and kill two birds with one stone. It seemed silly for them to have to take a break when they could sit with us while eating.

"Don't be silly guys. If breakfast was anything to go by I'm sure the chef will have prepared plenty of food for the four of us."

A thought came to mind right then, smirking I continued. "Weren't all the staff told that whatever we want we are to get? That we were to be obeyed in our wishes?" Both guards looked at each other then gave me a nod, "Well, it is our wish that you both sit down to lunch with us, and dinner as well, if you are still on duty then. Isn't that right Amelia?" I asked with an innocent smile on my face.

"Oh I think the king would be very annoyed if they didn't agree. That would make us very, very unhappy." She even stuck out her bottom lip and it took everything I had in me to stop myself from laughing.

Holding his hands out in mock surrender, "Ok, ok we will join you for lunch. I will call Rockne and ask him if the chef has prepared enough for me and Maria."

Amelia and I jumped in the shower to rinse the sweat off our bodies and then put our cover-ups back on and the four of us went to the dining room.

Once again the chef had outdone himself with the selection he provided. There were numerous different sandwiches, a large bowl of potato chips and assorted dips as well as a couple of different side salads accompanied by a large jug of iced tea and a pitcher of ice water.

We sat and enjoyed our meal for a long time as we got to know each other, telling stories about our lives and families. I really liked both guards; they were both down to earth and easy going. They'd both grown up in Shreveport, and, after some hesitation revealed that they are werewolves. Alcide revealed himself as the pack master of 'The Long Tooth Pack' of Shreveport and that most members are a part of the royal security detail as daytime guards in and around the palace.

"_That explains all of the Were brains I picked up on earlier." _I thought.

Once everyone had eaten all they could, I scraped all of the leftovers into one dish and stacked the rest. Alcide tried to tell me that I didn't need to do it, but I couldn't help myself. Gran had taught me to always clean up after myself and I wasn't going to forget my manners and up-bringing just because there was a butler to wait on me!

"Well guys, I don't know about you but I sure could use a walk to work off this bloated feeling! Ya'll fancy a walk around the grounds?" I asked.

"Definitely! If I sit here any longer I'm afraid I would never get up." Amelia said getting to her feet and rubbing her stomach.

"Wherever you two go, we go too. We will follow behind to give you ladies some privacy, but we will always be close by just in case."

Maria nodded in agreement with Alcide's proclamation and led us through the back doors in the opposite direction of the night-blooming garden. Her reasoning was that the roses and hydrangea were much more impressive at this time of day. I have to say that I had to agree, and could not stop thinking of my Gran, or the orange roses that Eric sent me after our first encounter. There were several bushes of that color interspersed with the bright reds and pinks along the path through the garden. What truly caught my attention, though, was the floral growth throughout the rest of the property that we visited on our walk.

There were several species of flora that were not indigenous, or even common, for this area of the continent...Pennsylvania Mountain Laurel, Twinleaf and Gorse flowers to name only a few.

Bright orange roses and Gorse flowers...I'm sure he ordered them...I'm sure I received them from a florist...didn't I? Regardless, their hues truly complemented the color and style of the mansion along with the rest of the garden. I'd have to remember to ask Eric about them later.

With that thought reminding me of another, I pulled out my cell phone and started a new text message to one of the new numbers in my phone:

_"Eric, I know that I should see you before Amelia and I leave for work this evening, but I want you to know that I really need to talk to you as soon as you are available...It's important. Xoxo, Sookie."_

For the next couple of hours, Alcide and Maria led us around the grounds, leading us past the ponds and avian preserve, the guest houses and guard's quarters until Amelia began to yawn repeatedly. We decided that it would be wise for us to take an afternoon nap so that we would be fresh for work and for the meeting with Eric and Mr. C, so our guards led the way back to our room on the second floor.

Our alarm woke us at four and Amelia volunteered to use the bath in the next bedroom so that we could shower and get ready for our evening at the same time. As much as I still wanted to take a lap in that incredible tub, I _settled_ for the open shower with multiple directional spray nozzles that were vertically placed along each wall and the three rainfall fixtures across the ceiling. I didn't need all of them as I was showering alone, but I had to turn them all on for a bit just for the luxurious experience.

It was so relaxing that I had a hard time trying to keep myself from daydreaming that Eric was sharing the experience with me; his elegant hands spreading soap over my body and massaging my scalp as he washed my hair. I tried to break that train of thought, really I did, but when I turned to put the bottle of conditioner back on the shelf, I found that one of the vertical spray nozzles was directly aligned with my center. I could not help but to give into the fantasy and revel in the feeling of the strong spray, imagining that Eric was standing with his arms wrapped around me...that his hands, instead of my own, met to expose my very sensitive clit to the water...that his tongue, instead of the water falling from above, was caressing my neck and breasts. I could not help but to imagine that it was that incredible man that brought me to the fastest and most intense orgasm of my short life.

Amelia and I finished getting ready and met in the room at essentially the same time and decided to retreat to the private balcony to watch the sunset rather than going straight down to dinner. The balcony offered a perfect view as the room faced the west and we quietly watched as the sky melted from a perfect blue into a prism of pinks, reds, and oranges, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the night and of our vampires.

Mr. C wasn't due to arrive for his meeting with Eric and Amelia for another forty five minutes and I silently prayed that Eric would present himself as quickly as possible. The conversation I intended to have with him was not one that I wanted to rush and I had yet to decide how to broach the subject.

"Amelia," I began, breaking both of us out of our solitary thoughts "did you leave the privacy wards up in the room?"

"Yes they are...why, what are you thinking?"

"Well, if you don't mind, when Eric and Pam wake up I'd like to tell Eric about all of this alone. I mean, you can tell Pam, even about me, but I think it would be best for me to do this alone with him. I'm afraid I'll be more self conscious with an audience, and I think Eric deserves to have whatever reaction he'll have without having to temper it."

"It's cool with me, hon. You aren't afraid are you?"

"No, not at all, I just...I just want it to be more intimate when I tell him my most intimate secret is all."

"Whatever you think is best Sook, I'm fine with. They should be here any minute now."

No sooner than the words left her mouth there was a knock on the door. Amelia jumped up and ran to the door fast enough to give the road-runner a run for his money. As soon as she swung the door open she was out in the hall sharing an intimate kiss with Pam as the door closed behind them, and Eric was in front of me with his hand cradling my face.

I took his palm from my face, kissed it, and then snuggled into his chest as he wrapped me in his arms. I instantly felt all of the tension drain right out of me as I heard him inhale my scent and then sigh.

"Mmmm...You smell like sunshine and honey." He said as he gently ran his hands up and down my back. "How was your day my Sookie? Did you and Amelia enjoy yourselves?"

"It was wonderful, Eric. Your home and this property are truly beautiful and your staff is incredible. I can't remember ever having been made to feel more welcome."

"I'm very glad to hear it. I hope to explore the property with you very soon. I'd like to show you my favorite parts."

"Hmm...I'd love that."

Neither one of us wanted to let go of the other, so we stood wrapped in each other in silence for another few minutes. But finally I mustered the courage to begin our very necessary conversation.

"Eric, I really need to talk to you."

"Yes, so your text said. What's wrong my love?"

"Well, let's sit."

Without another word, Eric scooped me up from behind, floated to the bed, and leaned back against the headboard with my back to his chest and his arms securely around me.

"Now, what is it that has that worried look on your face?"

"Well first, there's something that you should know about me. I'm only worried because I really like you and don't want you to feel differently about me."

"I seriously doubt anything could make me feel differently about you." He replied as he ran the tip of his nose from my shoulder to just behind my ear and back again.

"Well...okay...I'm telepathic. I hear the thoughts of others, I always have." I felt Eric stiffen then a split second later he relaxed again.

"Can you hear what I'm thinking Sookie?"

"Uhm… no. Vampires register to my mind, but it's like a void. Like where the mind and thoughts of someone should be, but I don't hear thoughts or see pictures like I normally do. I hear humans the best: it's like watching a television playing through my mind as thoughts and pictures. As a child it all came to me, all at once and it was nearly impossible to think through the noise; sometimes I couldn't tell the difference between something someone thought and what they said aloud. But now I can tune into different peoples thoughts as well as block others out. But touching has always amplified the thoughts of others."

"With shifters and Weres it's harder; they are kind of snarly to me like when you can't get a clear reception on the TV. I mainly get words from them but not complete sentences, or the odd picture here and there. If I touch a were, or if they think directly at me I receive them better."

"Vampires are an entirely different and welcome story. I don't hear ya'll at all; like I said; there is a void where your thoughts should be. I think that's why I am so relaxed around vampires; it's blissful to not have to shield myself. I've always had to work hard to keep others out, but I don't have to concentrate on that around you. I can finally be myself. I can be myself _with_ you. And I am so happy about that because I think I fell for you the moment I saw you. The best part is being able to touch you, to touch you and feel you without hearing...It truly is heaven."

Eric turned my face toward him and held it gently in both hands and asked "Sookie why would you worry that I would think any less of you? You have an amazing talent, an incredible gift. If anything, it only makes me want you more; you are an amazing, beautiful, smart, and sexy woman and you have an extraordinary talent on top of the rest."

"You are my perfect woman Sookie Stackhouse." He stated seriously after a brief pause while he searched my eyes. A moment later, he captured my lips in a searing kiss that sent that electric feeling careening everywhere through my body.

"Eric there is a reason I've brought this up now." I stated breathlessly when he released me. "I need to tell you about something I heard today, but you need to hear me out before you make any hasty decisions; I think you could turn this around to work in your favor."

"Of course I promise to hear you out, Sookie. Please tell me."

I couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive about telling Eric about the donors I had heard today; after all I had no idea how angry this would make him. But I sucked it up, reminding myself that I trust him implicitly and began to tell him what I heard.

"While Amelia and I were at breakfast I came across the mind of a donor who way praying for guidance. She is a member of the Fellowship sent here as a spy and as part of a sleeper cell. They are a team of three, Stacey, Josephine and Samuel, all donors, and they are waiting for further instructions. The Fellowship has planted people in several of the monarch's homes and is currently working on placing more. The plan is for the spies to gather as much information about the vampires, staff, security, and visitors of the palace. They're slowly gathering enough information to create detailed diagrams of the palace, outbuildings and grounds. Their endgame will come once they have spies in all of the southern states' palaces and they have gathered enough information. They are going to bomb them all at the same time once they know the layout and the best place to put the bombs for maximum impact."

After a deep breath I continued, "They aren't going to act soon. The man, Samuel, was thinking that it would be at least two more months before the Fellowship orders them to act and Josephine was hoping that she would be out in time for her nephew's birthday in the fall."

"Eric this really could work in your favor… the first donor, Stacey, the one who was crying this morning… she is so confused right now. There is a vampire she has spent some time with and she likes him a lot; Bill I think is his name. He's the one that was with you the night we met. She hates that she is torn between the Fellowship and her growing feelings for Bill. She came here with so much hate for vampires, but now she has spent time with Bill and seen that he isn't evil and nasty like the Fellowship preaches. She believes that she had been brainwashed with their rhetoric, and I think she will defect. It was her parents that took her to the Fellowship church and volunteered to send their little girl here as a donor and spy as an act in "God's" name. She was just eighteen and a virgin and her parents told her to do whatever she had to do to take back the night from vampires, and she is bitter about that."

"She may even share what she knows of the Fellowship's future plans without coercion or glamour if you could show her she was safe. She is already an 'insider' and you could keep her that way…use her as a double agent."

"Sookie… you have potentially just saved hundreds of vampires, humans and weres from meeting their final deaths. If you had not overheard what they have planned for all the monarchs, the supernatural world would fall into chaos and war with humanity would be sure to result. You have prevented that from happening and you have come up with a plan that will help in the future… you never stop amazing me. I will say it again… you are perfect!"

With that Eric moved me until I was straddling his lap and he laid another toe curling kiss on me. I pulled back a little and looked into Eric's eyes that were shining with the smile that was on his lips.

"As are you." I whispered before returning for another breathtaking kiss.

I couldn't get enough of him, of the taste of his lips. Our hands began to roam, grasping at any part of each other that we could reach and we soon began to move together, grinding against one another, groaning. I have never felt so alive, so needed, and I knew with certainty that we would have each other in every way.

We rolled over so that he was on top of me, pressing me into the mattress with each grind of our hips and I felt moisture flood my center. I could feel every inch of his body though our clothes and was entranced with his size and the feeling of his length against my mound. It wasn't enough; I wanted to feel his skin against mine, I fought my desire to reach down and begin undressing him.

We broke our kiss suddenly and simultaneously, breathing heavily and unable to look away from one another.

Finally Eric broke the silence and wiggled his eyebrows at me while saying, "I think it's a brilliant thing that you can't hear what I'm thinking. I want you Sookie, more than I've ever wanted anyone or anything, but we do not have the time tonight, and lover, we will need the time. But I'm willing to wait; I want you on our terms and in our time, and I have all the time in the world. You are worth the wait Lover." He gave me a devilish smirk and winked.

I slapped his shoulder and giggled then lay my head in the crook of his neck, enjoying the closeness while I could. I knew it wouldn't be long until the meeting with Mr. C and then Amelia and I would be leaving for work.

"Sookie" Eric said sounding quite serious as we sat up to face each other on the bed

"Yes?"

"Sookie I'm not sure if you would be willing… but I would love to offer you the same kind of contract as I did Amelia last night. I could have my lawyer talk about the specifics and any concerns you may have. The contract for clients to sign would involve a great deal more detail than Amelia's and some circumstances could be changed. I do believe that you should do something with your talent just like Amelia but that is totally your choice."

"I don't know Eric. To be completely honest it scares me; I've spent my whole life as an outcast because of my telepathy. Everyone in Bon Temps thinks of me as 'crazy Sookie' and has my whole life. I know I could do a whole lot of good with my curse, but I've also thought about all of the terrible things I could be forced to do as well if people begin to believe that I can get them something that they want."

"First Sookie, it is not a curse it is a skill, a talent. I can imagine the terrible things you have had to deal with in the past but the people who disrespected or hurt you are simply ignorant and small minded and will never be half the person you are. I can understand your fears, but know that whatever your decision, I will always protect you. No-one, and I mean NO-ONE will ever force you to do anything you don't want to ever again. If they so much as try they will suffer greatly by my hands. Mr. Cataliades, my lawyer, will be here shortly to go over Amelia's contracts, why don't we see what he has to say?"

"Actually, he gave me his card when I met him at the party last night. He could feel that I was reading him and elected to offer his services. I was going to give him a call to arrange a meeting because he also thinks that I need to protect myself before people find out about my telepathy. I felt I shouldn't wait to tell you about the donors, and I trust you completely, so I was comfortable telling you before I had any protection in place. I was hoping we could chat to him tonight."

Eric hugged me close again before replying, "I'm honored and grateful that you trust me Sookie. Know that I will never do anything to put you in harm's way or hurt you, whatever I do will always be in your best interest and to keep you happy."

We kissed again, but softly then finally broke to leave the bedroom to find Amelia and Pam so that we could have dinner before the meeting. As it happens they were just leaving one of the guest suits and Amelia was looking rather rosy cheeked; it doesn't take a genius to guess what they had been up to.

"How is my second favorite human this evening?" Pam asked with a genuine smile.

"I'm great Pam!"

"Ladies, why don't we head down to the dining room for dinner?" Eric asked.

"Yes, lets!" Pam answered as she grabbed both Amelia and my arms and started leading us down the hall.

"I have a feeling we're going to have a lot of fun together, we three girls." She continued with a mischievous glint in her eye.

We all giggled, except Eric who rolled his eyes as he took my arm and lead me ahead and down the stairs.

As we arrived in the family dining room I saw that the table was set beautifully with a large flower arrangement in the center with several candles around creating an elegant centerpiece. Each place was set with fine china in a cream color that displayed what I believe to be Eric's royal crest in deep red and gold. The flatware was gold plated, matching the china well without seeming pretentious. Two place settings were set only with wine glasses set upon a charger, but two were prepared for a full meal. It appeared that this would be a private dinner, just the four of us.

Before I could think on it further Eric said softly "The donors are being served from the summer kitchen this evening so that we have some privacy for a quiet dinner."

But no sooner than he said that did two giggling donors enter the kitchen from the patio. The pocket doors to the dining room were still open, and I heard their thoughts before they were in sight.

_"We can just say we didn't realize dinner was going to only be served outside tonight...maybe we can get a glimpse of the King this way. If he sees me, maybe he'll choose me for dinner...I hope he picks me." _

They froze as they were about to walk past the doors, obviously unaware that the room was in use. With wide eyes they stared at Eric and Pam and said nothing, but I heard them and their thoughts and it instantly pissed me off! I glared at them, fists clenched and nearly trembling and I felt Eric glance at me.

They were pissed that Amelia and I were there because they were sure we would be gone by now. They had heard rumors that the King had human guests in the Palace and hoped that it meant that they would be getting more attention as well.

The redhead was especially venomous in thinking about taking Eric away from the "blonde bimbo" and making him forget she ever existed. I was about to say something when Eric spoke first.

"Have the two of you lost the ability to follow directions or simply the courtesy not to stare? I am certain that all employees were informed that they would be served from the summer kitchen this evening." Eric said with a hiss.

"Since you are here, let me introduce you to my mate, Miss Sookie Stackhouse, and the mate of my child, Miss Amelia Broadway. They are to be treated with the respect and deference as myself and my second. Understood?"

I was openly staring at Eric now and so was Amelia. But she was also giddy because Pam was holding and gently squeezing her hand.

The donors simply nodded like imbeciles.

"Good then, you should pass the word. There will be a formal announcement to the compound. Goodnight." He finished authoritatively causing the donors to hurriedly scramble back out to the patio.

"I apologize for the interruption ladies; perhaps I have been too lax with controlling the movements of the donors. The problem will be remedied."

"That's okay Eric, It wasn't your fault." I said with a smile as I took his hand, trying to convey my happiness.

And with that we all relaxed at the table and Rockne began serving us. He first poured a lovely red wine for me and Amelia, and then he poured what I can only assume was a special blood for Eric and Pam. I could see the label on the bottle, but it was written in a language I didn't recognize.

The chef had prepared an amazing meal for us. We were first served a lovely toss salad with fresh baby vegetables, and mushrooms stuffed with spinach, tomatoes, feta and fresh mozzarella. Soon we were brought servings of prime rib with parsley and herb baby red potatoes and roasted young asparagus.

We all made small talk during the meal and Eric sat with his left hand on my thigh throughout the meal. The gesture wasn't inappropriate, but rather simply attentive. Although he did spend a lot of time watching my mouth as I ate with a heated look on his face.

When we finished our meals, Rockne was there to remove our dishes and place beautiful slices of tiramisu in front of us: It was the best I had ever had. Pam and Amelia were talking softly when Eric addressed me.

"Sookie, would you like to have dinner with me again on Monday, just the two of us? I thought that we could spend some time exploring the property and getting to know each other better. I understand that it will be a beautiful evening."

"Oh! I would really love to, Eric, but I'm scheduled to work." Before I could open my mouth to ask, Amelia spoke up.

"Oh no Sookie, you worked for me last week and I am more than happy to do the same for you. Have fun sweetie, really!"

I should have known that my girl would have my back.

"I guess it's settled then. What time would you like me to arrive?"

"Hmm...why don't I pick you up at seven?" After a brief pause where he seemed to be considering something, he asked "Would you like to stay here as well, so that we won't be rushed?"

It took no time for me to answer "Absolutely, I'd love to stay."

He kissed me chastely and I switched my attention back to my tiramisu...well, mostly. I couldn't go long without meeting Eric's eyes.

As soon as desert was finished, Rockne announced the arrival of Mr. Cataliades and we all stood to meet him in the parlor. From there we all retired to Eric's upstairs office to conduct our business.

"Mr. Cataliades thank you for coming this evening. I trust all is well with the contracts regarding Ms Broadway's services?" asked Eric in full business mode.

"A pleasure as always Mr. Northman. I have completed both contracts; the one between you and Ms Broadway and the contract that clients will have to sign upon acceptance of a job by Ms Broadway." said Mr. Cataliades before turning and addressing Amelia.

"Ms. Broadway, please review this contract and see if everything is to your satisfaction. This is the one between yourself and the king." Mr. C handed both Eric and Amelia copies of the contract and we all sat in silence and waited for Amelia's thoughts on it.

"Well it seems like everything is hunky dory! It covers everything that we agreed on last night; you earn 10%, I get to travel using your private jet, which clients will pay to fuel and staff, I'm classed as one of your assets, which entitles me to your protection." Here Eric held up a hand to stop Amelia.

"Amelia I know that being called an asset is not very appealing, I will not treat you like a possession that does not matter to me. You will be treated with much respect and courtesy. Please understand that being called an 'asset' is just the way the supernatural world classifies personal employees with extraordinary talents."

"I don't know much about the supernatural world Eric, but I do understand that so I'm good with it, don't worry. So, moving on, I also give you and your allies or vampires under your rule priority, and you provide bodyguards for me when needed. Overall I get the final say on things; I can choose when to go and come back from jobs providing the jet is free and I can refuse jobs and clients. I would be a fool not to accept! Where do I sign?" She asked with a huge smile and no second thoughts at all.

"Are you also happy with everything Mr. Northman?" Eric nodded his confirmation so Mr. C went on to show them both where to sign the contracts. Next he gave Amelia and Eric the client's contracts to look over.

"Once again I agree with everything on here. I only have one question. It states here that prices will vary depending on the kind of spell I'm doing… what will the prices be?"

Eric was the one to answer this question. "If we take the protection spell you use… for something the size of your house and land or smaller I would say you should charge $5000, for anything larger than that I think that you should charge $10,000. For business buildings I would say the same: smaller building $5000, for anything like clubs or hotels which are bigger you should charge $10,000. Clients will also be charged for your travel and accommodation." Poor Amelia just sat open mouthed throughout but Eric kept going.

"Amelia I know this is a lot to take in and I stressed last night how impressed I was by your wards… you should get used to being busy because I estimate that well over 200 buildings need to be warded in Louisiana alone. I have many, many businesses and houses here, and then there are Pam's homes. My sheriffs and all of the vampires under my rule have at the very least one property each that will need done. I can't say what other spells people may be interested in, but the prices can be decided according to complexity as those services are requested. Any other questions Amelia?" Eric asked.

"No I think all of my questions have been answered between last night and this discussion, and the contract is very clear and self explanatory… oh actually… I noticed there is no time scale of how long the contracts will last?"

Mr. C answered, "Mr. Northman didn't want to tie you down to a 6 month or yearly contract with him. He wants you to have full rights to leave if you ever wish to do so. As you are in control of when and where you work, it would seem rather pointless to set timelines."

"Ok, well I'm happy. No complaints from me. I just have to keep pinching myself to make sure this isn't all a dream! Thank you so much Eric."

"You are more than welcome Amelia. Now if you and Pam wouldn't mind, Sookie and I would like to have a private word with Mr. Cataliades." With that Pam and Amelia stood and left Eric's office.

Eric started the conversation, "Mr. Cataliades, I believe you already know of Ms Stackhouse's telepathy and had intentions of helping her to protect herself and her interests with a contract or other means. As you are my attorney, and if you are willing Miss Stackhouse's as well, what I need from you now is your best opinion regarding Ms Stackhouse's options.

Sookie told me this evening of a very serious threat in the palace that she found today using her telepathy. I have informed her that if she decides to keep her telepathy a secret I will respect her wishes and not tell a soul. However, I have also offered her the same protection that I have Ms Broadway. If you have any other suggestions, I would like for you to speak freely as I only have Sookie's best interests at heart."

I could tell Mr. C was thinking things over before he spoke,

"Telepathy is a very useful skill Ms Stackhouse: I know this firsthand. If you want to use your skill, which I believe would benefit you as much as your clients, then I will tell you that Mr. Northman's offer is truly your best option. This is my honest opinion and is in no way biased by my relationship with Mr. Northman. He is well known for fairness throughout the supernatural world, but he is also known as someone who is not to be crossed. My original suggestion of protecting yourself with a contract as a telepath for hire would have offered you some protection, but nowhere near the amount that you would have with Mr. Northman's offer. With him you will be for all intents and purposes untouchable."

"If however you want to keep your secret, I advise you to tell absolutely no-one else of it in the future, no matter how much you feel you can trust the person be it family or friends. Once any other supernatural hears of your skill they would not hesitate to use any means possible to acquire your services and compliance; be it blackmail, kidnapping, torture, beatings, or even rape."

Just picturing the possibilities brought fearful tears to my eyes, but my thoughts on the matter of using my ability were still fresh in my mind. When I was contemplating what to do about the spies, I had actually thought of three or four ways in which I could assist Eric with my talent in a work context and hoped that he would offer me a contract like Amelia's.

I know that I have some personal demons regarding my ability that I have to brush off and get over. I'm a 26 year old woman now and not a child who had no control over what I heard. I can't live in fear of what I can do or what others think about it anymore.

Breaking away from my internal musings, I made my decision known. "Ok, I want to do this, but I have a few stipulations. First, when I do find problems with humans I want to have a say in what happens to them. Next, whenever possible clients will travel to me here in Louisiana, and if that isn't possible I want the travel and arrangements to be on my terms just like Amelia. Further, I want vampires to know I that I can't be glamoured and that attempting to do so will break the contract resulting in a fine or punishment of my choosing. If the individual who tries to glamour me is an underling of a client, then I want to decide the punishment or fine and say who will carry it out if I choose not to do it myself, although I understand that I cannot prevent a Master's choice to sanction an underling further. I will be polite and respectful and I fully expect to be treated the same in return. I don't care what species I'm interacting with, be it were or vampire, or their station in their society. I understand that different species have their own hierarchy, but I don't. I see myself and all others as equals and want that to be respected."

I took a deep breath and then went on, "I'm sorry I shouldn't have went off that way or have been so demanding, but I've spent countless hours over the past 15 years or so being terrified of how people will treat me or what they will do to me, so I'm very apprehensive. I don't want people to think that just because I'm human I can be put in a corner to work."

Eric came over to where I was sitting and pulled me up into his arms, "Sookie I've already told you that I will not let that happen. If it makes you more comfortable, you will only have to travel if I'm with you so that you are not vulnerable to client's trying to take advantage. I am king, but after 153 years of being fair and doing a good job the kingdom doesn't require my undivided attention as it once did, so I actually have quite a lot of spare time. We can travel together and we can even arrange for you and Amelia to simultaneously work for the same clients as often as possible."

Eric's face locked down in quiet contemplation for a moment before he asked, "Sookie, you said that you can't be glamoured. How can you be sure? I have never heard of a human who was immune to our glamour."

"Um, last week at work a rather young female vampire tried to glamour me into meeting her for a drink, she looked around 28 when she was turned; which was around 20 years ago. I played along, but I knew what I was doing. It um, it was a pressure in my mind that went away when she stopped ordering me."

Mr. C interjected, "Ms Stackhouse, it is a simple matter to add everything you have mentioned to your contract along with the same stipulations that Amelia has in hers. I will add clauses to your contract that provide for your extra stipulations. Understand that contracts in the supernatural world are different from those in the human world. Technically I work with the supernatural council, our ultimate governing board, who review and evaluate all the contracts I write for equitability for all parties concerned. The council is made up of the highest ranked individuals from each race of supernatural: their word is law and therefore so is mine. When a contract that I have written is signed it is absolutely binding and if said contract is broke, the offending person will face serious consequences."

I digested all of this and it made me feel so much better, so I told Eric and Mr. C that I was happy to go ahead and do this. I figure its time I stop hiding from the world and do something useful. Mr. C said he could have the contract drawn up soon and would give us a call to make an appointment to go over things within the next day or two. We said our goodbyes to Mr. C and he went on his way.

When he was gone, Eric glanced at the clock.

"I guess Amelia and I need to leave for work soon."

Picking up the phone he replied, "Let me have Rockne gather your bags and have your car brought around."

When that was finished, Eric scooped me up with a mischievous smirk and walked out to his rooftop patio.

"I wish I didn't have to go." I said with a small frown.

"I wish the same my love. But I keep reminding myself that I get to have you alone on Monday." He replied after kissing me softly.

"I know, but it seems like I miss you more each time I leave you."

"I'm glad you feel that way." He said with a smile and a wink, but finished seriously, "I do as well."

I leaned in and ran my tongue over his lips and we lost ourselves in a passionate kiss for a few minutes. It was soft and sensual and full of promise and it made it even more difficult to leave.

When we broke, Eric announced that my car was ready and that Pam and Amelia were waiting for us at the driveway. Without saying anything more, he flew us from our quiet rooftop paradise of solitude back down into reality. With one last kiss, we got in the car and left for work with Eric and Pam watching us drive away.

_**Please review and let us know what you think. Thank you for reading. Aimee and Michelle.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone!**

**Once again we thank you all for the fantastic reviews and support we receive. We find it very satisfying when we get reviews and find people are enjoying what we are writing, it really pushes us harder to get these chapters out faster.**

**This is a short EPOV as a bonus and thank you to you all, check out the link on this profile to view pictures relating to our story and an image of the bracelet in this chapter.**

**Aimee and Michelle.**

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris. We are just playing!**

Chapter 7

EPOV

My senses slowly return to me before the use of my body as I begin to wake for the evening. It's Sunday and I have a couple of hours before I have to be available at Fangtasia for audiences with my subjects. How I wish it were tomorrow when I would be preparing for my date with my lovely little belle! That woman never ceases to amaze me.

It was truly a shock, though a pleasant one, that Pam's new girlfriend is none other than Sookie's roommate Amelia. When I spotted them together at Pam's party I thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me, but she was truly there and I was elated to see Sookie. The look on her face when she found out that I was king was priceless, yet caused me great concern. I felt fear for the first time in centuries with the mere thought that my position would scare her away, and embarrassment when she jokingly addressed me formally. Not her...I don't want that from her; ever.

I could lose myself in the memory of the kiss we shared in my office...in the phantom of the taste of her lips...in the ghost sensation of her warm body pressed against mine. Gods that woman thrills me!

Pam's party went off without a hitch and it was a wonderful night all around. I could not have been more proud of my child: she finally learned to fly. She always wanted to inherit that power and would try everyday as a newborn vampire. Eventually she only tried once a year on her 'birthday', and I could see her utter joy and sense of triumph at finally succeeding when she showed me.

I had sensed the wards around their home when first I visited, but was still surprised that Amelia was a witch and had cast them herself. It seems that Pam was unaware of her abilities until we flew them home but was no less impressed than I was with her girlfriend's talents. I wasted no time in proposing that Amelia work for me or in helping her establish a means to earn a living with her ability. I've known for centuries that one is truly happiest when they are able to do what comes naturally to them without fear. So with that in mind, I offered to have my trusted lawyer draw up a contract.

The best part of the evening was when the girls agreed to spend the night at the palace so that Amelia and I could meet with Mr. Cataliades early in the evening and I was able to show Sookie my home. Again I was somewhat fearful that the palace would intimidate her, but I should have known better. I was enthralled by her reactions and was overjoyed that she seemed comfortable in my home. I would love for her to spend time here with me.

I felt more at peace, more content than ever laying with her wrapped in my arms as she drifted off to sleep. She is truly a beautiful woman, but she is absolutely angelic when she sleeps; a true goddess. I quietly watched her rest, in awe of her, leaving her side only moments before dawn. I didn't want to be parted from her and even considered taking her to my chamber with me, but refrained. She deserved to spend the day with Amelia exploring the grounds, enjoying the sun. I would have to reprogram the security measures to recognize her and there was just not enough time. As sad as I was to leave her side, I reveled in the knowledge that I would still be close to Sookie; that she would be in my home while I rested. I went to ground that morning with her delicious scent on me and an irrepressible smile on my face.

I woke last night to find a text from Sookie saying that she needed to talk to me about something important. I had no idea what it could be about, but my staff had better hope that they had not offended her in any way. I took the fastest shower of my life and dressed in record time, meeting Pam in the hall between our suites. It seemed that she was just as anxious to see her lover as I was to see mine.

The moment I laid eyes on Sookie, I felt complete again. I was becoming accustomed to the feeling but was no less amazed by it. Holding her again felt so right, so perfect; I didn't want to let go. I could tell that she was fearful about whatever she wanted to talk about, so I tried to make her comfortable to help her relax.

I was stunned when she told me about her telepathy and even more amazed by her. She is truly a unique and precious woman and I was further determined to make her mine forever. She was understandably fearful about my reaction to her revelation but I assured her that it changed nothing about the way I feel for her, except perhaps enthralling me further. I instinctively knew there was a reason she decided to tell me this now, but I could not resist showing her how I felt. I could not resist kissing her full lips, and feeling her satiny skin, her warmth against me. We lost ourselves in one another for a while and neither of us wanted to stop. I was seconds away from ripping her clothes from her body and it seemed that she was struggling with the same desires, so we broke apart simultaneously.

As she told me about what she heard from the donors today I felt my ire growing. Anger turned to bloodlust and it was nearly uncontrollable...I wanted to go straight to the dorm and torture the spies for all the information that they could give. But as Sookie continued her tale and told me her ideas, I felt myself quickly relax. I do not understand the effect she has on me, the control she unknowingly exerts on me, but I do not resent it. On the contrary, it makes me certain that she is perfect for me.

Sookie is so ambivalent about her talent, but I know that if she were too truly to accept it, embrace it, that she will shed her insecurities; she will begin to see herself as I see her. So I offered her the same opportunity that I offered Amelia. It only took her a few hours to decide to accept the offer, though she still had some concerns. They are absolutely valid concerns and with a talent as unique as hers, any concessions are worth it.

I had briefed the staff on my wishes for a quiet, private dinner and was enraged that two donors felt entitled to go against my wishes and enter the palace anyway. Their thoughts were clearly disturbing to Sookie and I refused to let those swine's ruin our evening. Without thinking of what she would think of my proclamation, I made it very clear that Sookie was mine, that she alone holds my interest and that she and Amelia both are to be treated like royalty. They were obviously unhappy with this, but they are donors; they have no purpose other than to feed the night guards, my underlings and myself occasionally.

While Sookie was taken aback by my announcement of her as my mate, she immediately calmed my worries by giving me a sincere smile and squeeze of the hand. I wished that we were alone so that I could explain to her...well, everything...but we were not. I quickly formed a plan for Monday night so that we would have a chance to truly be alone and have the time to discuss our relationship and thankfully, with Amelia's assurances, she agreed.

So now I lay here in bed trying to plan the perfect date for us. I will require Rockne's assistance as I wish to have it on the grounds, but for now I think I'll use the internet on my phone to order a few trinkets to be delivered to her during the day tomorrow.

First I order another bouquet of orange roses and gorse flowers to be delivered, but ask that red roses be added to the mix. I thought for a minute on what I wanted the note to say, and when I was satisfied I completed the order.

I wish to keep the details of our date a surprise for her, so I'm sure she will be uncertain as to what to wear. If I've learned anything about women from Pam, it's that dressing appropriately for an occasion is very important to them. I doubt that Sookie would feel any differently, so I log on to the Neiman Marcus website to browse their selection. They have many options, but I finally settle on a lovely blue cocktail dress and matching shoes to be delivered to her by 10 AM tomorrow.

With a grin I continue to order a few more simple items, debating whether or not to peruse a jewelry site. I decide that it would be overkill to send something like that, but I still cannot shake the idea of giving her jewelry. Inspiration suddenly comes to me and I jump out of bed and speed to my personal safe. I know with certainty what I wish to give her, the only piece of women's jewelry that I own. As I take the box from the safe and open it, my mind drifts to the day I purchased it.

_~Flashback to London, early 1700's~ _

_The night is quiet and the streets deserted as I wonder London alone at 2 in the morning. It was raining earlier in the evening but the only evidence left of the storms are the muddy puddles in the streets and the sound of water running in and dripping from the rickety wooden gutters of the buildings around me. I find no comfort in this night, it only echoes the feeling of desolation I've struggled with for years now; it's mocking me. In the nearly 700 years of my life - existence - whatever, I've always found contentment in something but now I find myself becoming bored and tired of the night. Godric, my maker, and I parted ways nearly 300 years ago seeing each other only infrequently; perhaps it is time we reunite? I tire of being alone; I tire of the repetition that has become my life. _

_To say my life has been long and fulfilling would be an understatement. I've done more and seen more than most vampires twice my age. But now? Now I have no enthusiasm, nothing driving me in any direction. There has always been something to hold my interest or some goal to which I strove, but now I feel as if there is not a lot left for me to accomplish. _

_The silence of the night is unrelenting as I continue to walk these deserted streets without a destination until I suddenly feel an urge to cross the street towards an alleyway on the right. As I approach its mouth, the pull becomes stronger so I begin down the new path. I am not sure what my senses have picked up or if it is actually anything at all, but I refuse to ignore anything that piques my interest right now. _

_About halfway down the alley I catch a glimpse of something gleaming in my peripheral vision. It's coming from a shop window: peculiar because there are no street lights lit here to cause a gleam; their fuel burned out hours ago. As I reach my destination I find it is a jewelry shop, closed with metal wire caging for the night. I look in the window to find what caused the light to reflect and instantly my eyes fall upon a lovely platinum filigree bracelet adorned with diamonds and sapphires. It is the most intricate design I have ever seen. In the center of the top of the bracelet is a large round diamond so brilliantly faceted that reflects the non-existent light in the alley. Two narrow triangular sapphires flank it, their points facing the center stone. I simply cannot take my eyes off of the bracelet. Although the bracelet is obviously made for a female I want it, no, I feel like I NEED it. _

_I have never felt a pull like this before in my entire existence! I don't have anyone to give it to, no mate or child; I just know that it must be mine. Even if I never see anyone wearing it, I know that I will not be happy until I have it. I decide that I cannot leave until I have the bracelet in my hands. I look around to find that there is no-one in sight so I do the only thing I can; I snap the lock with my bare hands and pull the shutter on the door out of my way. With very little force the door opens and I enter the shop. _

_I do not bother to look around the shop; my focus is solely the bracelet in the window. I know that I cannot just take it, I feel a call to pay for it, so I take out my cash and leave twice the amount marked on the tag on the counter with a note apologizing for breaking in and a description of what I purchased. I move slowly to the window display and pick up the bracelet and I somehow feel a connection to it as if it is warming me from the inside out. _

_The change in my mood is instant, I feel as if it is bridging a chasm deep inside of me. I begin to feel optimistic, like the intense sense of loneliness that has been my companion for years is beginning to fade. How can a simple bracelet make me feel more whole? Why do I feel this attachment to this particular piece of jewelry? I surely will not find any answers standing here so I tuck the bracelet safely into my inside pocket and exit the shop securing the door as best I can._

_I make my way back to my resting place and as the dawn approaches, I lie clutching the bracelet to my chest, reveling in the feeling of contentment for the first time in years._

_~End flashback~_

As my thoughts come back to the present, my eyes are locked on to the beautiful bracelet that inspired new life and perspective in me so many years ago. As I run my finger across the stones set into its face, I recognize that the feelings I get from this inanimate object and those I feel with Sookie are one and the same. She makes me feel them much more intensely, of course, but they are kindred nonetheless. I know that this is the last gift she will receive tomorrow; it is destined for her and I will present it to her at dinner after we discuss our relationship so that I can tell her of its origins. I guess it's a good thing that I ordered a sapphire blue dress!

With a small smile, I set the small box on my bedside table so that it will be the last thing I see before I rest and the first thing I'll see when I wake and go to take my shower and prepare for my evening of listening to the monotonous squabbles of my subjects.

I find Rockne soon after I make my way to the main floor and ask him to accompany me to meet with the chef. I spent several minutes reviewing my plans with the two of them and was adamant in my instructions.

"Gentlemen, this must be perfect! There will be no mistakes as there was at dinner the last night...do you understand?"

"Yes Majesty." They replied in unison.

"I will not tolerate interruptions, and I will not be so lenient with those responsible for any mistakes. Is that clear?"

"Of course Your Majesty" they responded in unison once again.

"Then I will leave you to make preparations."

That being said, I walked out onto the patio and took to the sky to begin my evening of boredom.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N, New pictures have been added to go with this chapter so please click the link on our profile. Sorry this chapter took a little over a week but it is the longest yet to make it up to you all and it also contains lemons! YEY. Thank you all for the support you show us and the fabulous reviews. Please review this chapter to let us know what you think.**

**Aimee and Michelle.**

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris. We are just playing!**

Chapter 8

"Thank God it's Monday!" I say aloud to my quiet bedroom as I open my eyes to the new day. I've been so excited about my date with Eric tonight that I couldn't fall asleep last night. I'm going to need a lot of coffee this morning and a nap after I figure out what to wear tonight if I'm to stay awake later.

With that thought, I go to my personal bath and ready myself for the day. I don't bother to shower as I know that I will before I get ready for the night.

Amelia, my personal angel, had a fresh cup of coffee poured for me and an enormous smile on her face as I entered the kitchen.

"So roomie...ready for your big date with the big vamp?"

"No! I have no idea what to wear..."

I was interrupted just as the words left my mouth when someone began buzzing at the gate. Amelia leapt to the panel on the wall to see who was here.

"May I help you?" She asked into the intercom. I giggled at how much she sounded like a secretary.

"Yes, I have a delivery for Ms Sookie Stackhouse."

With a bright smile and wink at me, she replied as she pressed the button to allow him entrance, "Please drive up sir."

Within two minutes there was a knock at the door. I made my way to the door curious as to what I would be receiving as I knew I hadn't personally ordered anything. "Please sign here Ms Stackhouse" the guy said handing me a clipboard and pen. I signed my name and took the two parcels from him, wished him a good day and made my way back into the kitchen where Amelia was waiting looking rather excited. I placed both boxes on the kitchen bench and took the note off the larger of the two.

_My Dearest Sookie,_

_I saw this and it immediately reminded me of your eyes._

_Will you please do me the honor of wearing it this evening?_

_Until tonight,_

_E_

Feeling giddy I quickly ripped the lid from the box and removed sheets and sheets of soft tissue paper until I found the loveliest sapphire blue cocktail dress I'd ever seen. The label said it was by David Meister and it was fitted and strapless with a knee-length pencil skirt. The bodice of the dress has an asymmetric neckline with jagged trim and a beaded brooch detail at the left waist where the ruching gathered. I couldn't help but to run my hands over the luxurious satiny material time and again. Breaking from my trance I then opened the second box to reveal a pair of Casadei 'Satin Metal' peep-toe pumps. The background color of the pumps was sapphire-denim blue and they were covered artfully with silver, white and multicolor-blue accents. I had never had a pair of pumps with such a high heel-5 3/4 inches, but I loved these because they would help to even the height difference between me and my vampire.

To say I felt gleeful would be an understatement. I hadn't seen Eric since I left the palace to go to work on Saturday night with Amelia and ever since I've felt a dull ache for him; like part of me was missing. I was extremely excited for our date tonight and receiving these gifts was a perfect way start to my day.

"Oh Sookie that dress is so beautiful and elegant, he is right, the color is just like your eyes. Who would have thought the big bad ass vampire king of Louisiana would be smitten and so sweet? And his taste in style and designers is absolutely impeccable!"

"I know Amelia; I have to keep pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. I just can't believe how lucky I am! The idea that he would be so interested in a barmaid from Bon Temps like me is like a fairytale. He is perfect for me; I could happily spend the rest of my days with him… well nights." I said with a giggle.

"Sookie you need to stop thinking that way; you are no less of a person than him! I can see that he is just as devoted to you as you are to him in the way he looks at you when you're not watching. I believe that the two of you are equally lucky to have found each other. Enjoy it girl because I can definitely see the two of you having a happily ever after."

"I know, I know! Some of the things he says to me are enough to make my heart melt. I guess I just get a little scared of how fast I'm fallin' in love with him. I've never even had a boyfriend before and here I am falling in love with a vampire I've only met on a few occasions."

After taking a deep breath I go on, "I know it might be too soon and I could scare him away but Amelia I have to tell him tonight! I can't keep it in any longer! I want him to know exactly what he does to me and how he makes me feel. I get butterflies just thinking about him, I feel like my heart is pounding through my chest when I see him. If this isn't love that I'm feeling it sure as hell is close to it."

Shaking her head at me she replied, "Sook you could grow a second head and I doubt you would scare him off! Now go get your purse… I'm kidnapping you for the day to take your mind off tonight." Then she quickly added, "And stay out of my head! It's a surprise!"

After grabbing my purse and cell phone we were soon in Amelia's car heading towards town. Pulling up Amelia announced, "First stop breakfast." I nodded my head and got out of the car thinking that I couldn't possibly eat anything, I was far too nervous.

Much to my surprise once we were inside the lovely little café and the smell of the food cooking hit my nose, my stomach disagreed with my thoughts and rumbled loudly. I ordered pancakes and thoroughly enjoyed them with another cup of coffee as I had only had one at home.

"Well girl...you need some relaxation and girly time so our next stop is the salon down the street!" Amelia announced excitedly.

"I'm definitely in." I replied as we made our way out the door.

Once there I decided to get my hair trimmed and some layers added to give my hair more lift. Amelia went with a trim and had it blown dry. Once the stylists had finished our hair we went to the back of the salon to get a manicure and pedicure. I asked the woman who was doing my nails to paint them sapphire blue to match my dress so that I would be ready for tonight.

When I took my purse out to pay Amelia playfully slapped my hand and insisted that she was paying. Leaving the salon I felt confident knowing that my hair and nails looked good.

Being out of the house had helped a lot with my nerves for tonight as I hadn't had much time to worry. When we arrived home I gave Amelia a huge hug and thanked her for the treat today and told her I was going to take a nap.

I woke to the sound of my alarm going off at 4.30 and jumped out of bed excitedly. I immediately regretted doing so when I stubbed my toe on the bedside cabinet. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." I shouted jumping on one foot and trying to rub my other foot. I'm not one to curse but who could blame me? Stubbing your toe or banging your elbow is just too painful to not react!

"Sookie sweetie are you ok?" I heard Amelia shouting up the stairs.

"Yeah Amelia I'm fine. I just stumped my toe jumping out of bed is all." I replied.

"Well since you're up get your ass down here and open the card you got with these flowers!" she shouted impatiently.

"_Flowers? What flowers?"_ I thought to myself before my brain clicked into action and I realized I must have had another delivery. With a growing smile I yanked open my bedroom door and ran downstairs as fast as my legs would carry me thankful I had napped in my clothes from this morning so I didn't have to waste time dressing.

Coming to a stop at the side table beside the front door I found a beautiful bouquet of orange roses and gorse flowers just like the ones I had received at work last Tuesday only this time there was a dozen red roses mixed in as well. Amelia was standing impatiently tapping her foot with her hand held out towards me with the card. I could hear from her mind that they had came well over an hour ago and she was close to coming to wake me because her curiosity about the message on the card was getting the best of her. I pulled the card from her grip and opened it quickly.

_To my beautiful Sookie,_

_You are the light to my darkness, _

_You are the sun to my moon,_

_I look forward to seeing you very soon._

_Yours, E_

Well color me speechless. I couldn't even find it in me to read the card out loud to Amelia so I just handed it to her silently. I could feel the tears forming in my eyes and I willed them away the best I could, which thankfully I was fairly successful. The last thing I want is red puffy eyes for my date!

Amelia looked up at me when she finished reading and she too looked stunned. She recovered before I did and said. "I don't know what to say… I do know we need to get you ready before those tears fall girl! Come on, get back up the stairs and go get a bath."

I nodded, still not trusting my voice and went and had a nice hot bath. I had my hair washed at the hairdressers so once I was cleaned and shaved in all the right places I put on my robe and brushed my teeth.

There was a knock at my bedroom door and Amelia asked "Sook, would you like me to help you get ready?"

"Oh my God yes, Amelia! I'm so excited about tonight I'd probably end up putting lipstick on my eyelids!" I responded with a loud laugh.

"Well, I'll make sure you don't make that mistake!" Amelia said as she handed me a glass of white wine and moved to plug in her iPod dock.

"Tonight's musical theme is love and sex...and before you comment, let me just say Sook, it's written all over your face, so just go with it."

"Alright Ames, I'm not denying or questioning it anymore. I'm just going to go with the flow." I replied with a sly smile.

To be honest, I've been thinking of little else all day. I was certain how I wanted this evening to end and if I had anything to say about it, my wishes would continue to come true. Hell, Eric has turned my life into a fairy tale in a matter of a week, so why not have my most urgent wish granted?

As the sweet melody of Otis Redding's 'That's How Strong my Love Is' sung by an artist named Sam Bradley, began drifting through the room, I couldn't help but to smile at Amelia's skill for planning. The song perfectly echoes the sentiment of the note Eric sent with my flowers and gave voice to the feelings that bounce between Eric and I every time that we are together.

Amelia quickly took command and had me sit at the vanity as she curled my hair then began to draw sections of hair up and away from my face while strategically leaving a few pieces behind. She worked as fast as a professional and the result was stunning. Half of my hair was pulled back and away from my face and neck, creating height at the top, yet allowing curls to flow gracefully down my back.

Allowing me no time to admire her handiwork, she soon started on my makeup. As my tan was still fresh I didn't need much in the way of foundation or powder, so she concentrated on my eyes. Having used liquid black eyeliner, she applied a palette of soft grays and silvers, highlighting the blue of my eyes so that they would pop with my new sapphire blue dress. She finished my look with black mascara, shimmering light pink blush and light pink lip gloss.

The finished look was nothing short of spectacular and I have never felt so beautiful in all my life.

"Thank you so much Ames! I can't believe how beautiful you've made me look!" I thanked her sincerely.

"Sookie, look at me. I didn't make you beautiful. You truly are beautiful through and through all on your own. I see it and your vampire sees it. I just hope that you continue to see it from now on." Amelia replied with a heartfelt smile.

"Thank you so much...but stop it before I cry away all of your hard work!" I said as I stood and gave her a hug.

When we broke, I went to my closet to retrieve my blue satin and black lace strapless bra and panty set. My tan made nylons unnecessary. It was the best option I had for the dress that he sent, and if I'm honest, they really couldn't have been more perfect.

Amelia was yelling at me to hurry up as I was stepping into my dress, so I exited my closet and had her zip the back of my dress. I stepped into my shoes and stopped to examine the total package as it were.

Honestly, I had never felt better about myself or more confident in the choices I was making and I couldn't wait for our night to get started.

As Amelia headed off to her room to get ready for her night at work with only an hour before she needed to be there, she informed me that she had sent the code to the gate in a text message to Eric this afternoon so that he wouldn't need to be buzzed in. When she saw the anxious and excited look pass across my face she reminded me that it was only just now getting dark, so I took a deep breath and began gathering my belongings and stuffing them into my overnight bag. After I stuffed my essentials into a silver clutch and double checked to make sure that I hadn't forgotten anything, I made my way downstairs to wait for my love.

To say that I was surprised to hear the monitoring system beep to alert that the gate was being accessed at only 15 minutes past sundown would be the understatement of the century, but I was thrilled that he was early. I checked my appearance once again in the hall mirror and waited by the front door to greet my Eric.

As soon as I heard the car reach the front of the house I opened the door. It literally took only two seconds after the engine was cut for Eric to be standing in front of me with a single red rose in hand.

I immediately felt my heart rate pick up as I looked over the god before me from head to toe as he was doing the same to me. He was wearing a classic Dolce and Gabbana black two-button suit with a crisp white shirt and silk sapphire blue tie that matched my dress and our eyes. I didn't realize that I had been holding my breath until Eric broke the silence.

"Sookie, my love, you look like a dream." He said as he twirled the petals of the rose against my cheek and down my neck.

I barely registered my minds acknowledgment of Amelia's mental "oh my god" before I responded sincerely and confidently with a smile, "As do you my love."

Eric leaned in for a sweet, lingering kiss then picked up my overnight bag as he asked, "Are you ready to go?" to which I responded with a simple nod.

"Have fun you guys!" Amelia chirped from the stairwell and I could only spare a half-hearted wave in response; Eric and I couldn't take our eyes off of one another.

He led me to his car, which surprisingly was not the red Corvette. Instead, before me sat Jason's dream car...a silver 2011 Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren.

"I'm surprised not to see the 'Vette, Eric. But I must say that the SLR is a seriously sexy car." I stated nonchalantly.

"You know cars?" Eric responded, with an absolutely gob smacked look on his face.

"Only a few. This is one of my brother's favorite dream cars." I replied, laughing at what I imagined Jason's face would look like if he were to see this car in person.

"Well then, I'll have to let you borrow it for your next trip to Bon Temps." Eric responded with a devious smile.

"Yeah, right. I'd never be brave enough to drive it!"

"Why not? I know you can drive a stick shift. In fact, would you like to drive it back to the palace?"

"I think I'd be too nervous that I'd wreck it!" I answered nervously.

"Nonsense, my love. I'd never let you come to harm...nor this car." Eric replied with a chuckle.

With his reassurance I decided 'why not?' and took the keys from his outstretched palm. I mean really, how often does a girl from the sticks have a chance to drive a car like this? Eric opened the door and helped me into the driver's seat, and after I adjusted the seat and mirrors, I started the car and began to move down the driveway. I heard Eric let out what I can only describe as a low growl.

"Do you have any idea of how much of a turn-on it is to see you drive this car?" Eric asked staring unwaveringly at my face.

"Um, no?" I answered blushing, unsure of myself.

Eric continued with a deep grumbling sound, "Believe me, my love...you are nearly irresistible right now. I have never let another drive this car and I never will. I don't want to sully this memory."

With a big smile on my face, we exited the gates and I accelerated out onto the quiet street.

As we arrived at the palace gates, Eric pressed a button on the dash of the car and the gates began to roll open. I paused long enough for the guards to identify us, bow, and motion for me to drive through.

"Just take the car to the area to the left of the house as you did the last time you visited." Eric stated.

I did as he asked, and we were curiously left alone. Unlike the last time I parked a car here, there were no servants awaiting our arrival. As I was turning the car off, Eric was already opening the gull-wing door of the SRL to offer his hand. I took it with a grateful smile and he began to lead me forward to a flagstone path that disappeared into a dimly-lit night blooming garden. We walked along, arm in arm, in a comfortable silence for a couple of minutes before I spoke.

"It's awfully quiet. Where is everyone tonight?"

"I asked that we be left to our own devices. I wish to spend this evening with you alone. Rockne and the chef helped me make some preparations for our date, but they and the rest of the staff know that we are not to be disturbed." Eric replied with a smile.

"So are you going to tell me what you have planned?"

"Mmm..." he hummed. "No, I think I'll just show you. It's still unseasonably warm, so I thought that we should take advantage of the weather. We are nearly there. Do you hear the spring?"

"Yes, it's over there to the right somewhere. Does the spring hold some bearing on our date?" I responded playfully.

"Not exactly, but it does mean that we are approaching the main pond."

"So the pond has something to do with our date?" I giggled.

Leaning over to kiss my temple, he responded with a chuckle at my anticipation, "You will see."

Moments later when we rounded a bend in the garden path, a warm glow in the trees ahead became visible. "That is our destination dear one." Eric said quietly.

As we moved closer, the light revealed a large octagonal gazebo nestled next to a large pond. The lights creating the glow were coming from hundreds of fairy lights woven artfully into the lower branches of the trees and in the rafters of the structure. I looked around slowly in awe of my surroundings.

Inside the gazebo, next to the rail closest to the water, was a table set for two with a white linen table cloth, a small bouquet of flowers matching the ones I received this afternoon, and two glowing crystal hurricane lamps. Next to the table was a small buffet stand upon which a wine bucket that contained a bottle of champagne, another container that resembled a wine bucket that held an oddly-shaped black glass bottle, as well as a large traditional picnic basket were placed.

Every few feet of the gazebo's railing held another glowing crystal hurricane lamp or arrangement of roses and gorse flowers. Music was playing softly from speakers that were invisible to me, and a free-standing fireplace crackled merrily with heat at the far side of the structure.

"Eric, what is all of this?"

"This Sookie, is the first real date I've ever been on. Please be gentle." He replied teasingly.

"Well you could say this is my first date too." I said looking into Eric's eyes. "My dates never lasted very long or went very far because of my telepathy. The thoughts of the guys I was with invariably disgusted me. One guy picked me up from home and before I got in the car he was thinking _"Who cares if she's a freak, she has a pretty face and fantastic tits."_ I closed the car door in his face and walked away without a word. On another date we made it as far as the queue for tickets at the cinema but his thoughts of what he wanted us to do in the back row made me turn and leave right away. So hopefully tonight will be perfect for the both of us; I think we'll both need to be gentle." I finished with a kiss to his cheek then he led me to sit at the table.

As soon as I was seated, Eric poured champagne for me and blood for himself out of the black bottle. Noticing my attention to his glass he asked, "Does it bother you? I don't have to drink it now."

"It doesn't bother me at all, Eric! It's how you live; I would never begrudge you that!" I answered in startled surprise.

"Most humans, well...those that aren't fangbangers, are usually uncomfortable with it, if not disgusted."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I can't understand why they should feel that way. I mean, you are what you are. And besides, we eat big bloody slabs of meat; what's the big difference? What you consume is human, true, but why should that really matter? It's not like you have production farms where we're born and bred for the sole purpose of feeding you. What we do to and for our food can be more disturbing than the idea of what our foods are respectively." I responded passionately.

Laughing freely Eric said "Indeed you are correct. We don't farm our food as you do yours. But interestingly, this blood is from my private preserve."

"Private preserve?" I asked confused. "What makes that blood different from mine or anyone else's?"

"Well, this blood was donated by a reclusive tribe from the Amazon rainforest. The blood is much more pure and natural than most because they live removed from the pollution and preservatives common to industrialized nations. The taste of human blood has changed drastically over the last 150 years, and this blood is almost like what was normal when I was a young Vampire." He answered.

"So, how did you come to have this blood?"

"I was traveling through South America some years ago and came across a primitive tribe. They immediately knew what I was but were not overly fearful of me. They were a spiritual group and knew of my kind; there are rumors that some of the ancient Aztec's were turned and still roam the forests, but I digress. I spent some time with them and made a deal with them. I showed them how to access, hold and filter freshwater, hunt more efficiently and breed animals for food, and replant trees that had been razed by loggers and in return they donated their blood to me. I've never harmed them, they are honest and deep people and I admire them."

He continued, "Several years ago I set up a company that works to replant razed trees and to stop deforestation. That company protects the tribe and visits them now and again to draw blood by needle to be bottled for me. I still visit them every few years myself. They understand that the outside world is unimaginable to them and they are content to live as they always have. It is a pleasure to witness the evolution of their people...those who were young children when I first met them are now the tribe's elders."

"Wow! That's amazing and so incredible. Not to mention very, very smart. I bet anyone you share this with would be jealous!"

"Yes, I do get many compliments, but I doubt very much it will hold a candle to your blood." He leaned in to rest his lips millimeters from mine and continued, "You smell of sunlight, honey and orchids...of femininity, lust and passion...of my personal bliss." As soon as he finished his lips were on mine. His tongue slid seductively against my lips asking for entry, and I yielded...eagerly.

After a few moments we broke from each other. Holding my hand, he asked, "Will you tell me more about yourself? Have you always lived in Shreveport?"

"No." I replied. "I was actually born and raised in Bon Temps, a little town about an hour south of here. I only moved to the city about a week before we met. I was living in a Bed and Breakfast when I got the job with Amelia, but she almost immediately opened her home to me. We were truly instant friends."

"Why did you decide to move here? What of your family?"

"My parents died when I was a child and so my Gran raised my brother, Jason, and I. Gran was literally my best friend my whole life; it was just as hard for me to make and keep friends as it was for me to date. She died recently and I couldn't stand to stay in the home we shared anymore, so I moved to Shreveport to start over."

"Are you still close to your brother? Does he not worry that you moved so far away?"

"We are very close and yes, he does worry, but he is also very supportive of me. He never made fun of or mistreated me as a kid, but he just didn't understand me. As an adult, however, he has really put a lot of effort into understanding me and being whatever I need him to be. I think that he will like you...I mean, if you ever meet." I finished with a blush.

"Of course we will meet. I would love to hear any story he has to tell of you!" He chuckled. "So he isn't telepathic? Was anyone in your family?"

"No, I'm the only one that I know of. Jason is beautiful and has a different woman in his bed every night. I swear he can talk anyone into anything! He got his way with everyone but me!" I finished with a laugh.

"So it's only the two of you now? You have no other family?" He asked gently.

"Yes, essentially. We have a cousin, Hadley, who disappeared years ago. She was addicted to pills and ran away from the rehab Gran was paying for. I don't know if she is still alive. We also have a great uncle, but he has been estranged from the family since I was a child. So it really is just me and Jason."

"So what about you?" I asked to redirect the conversation. "Do you claim any family other than Pam?"

"Yes," He replied with a smile, "my Maker, Godric, and my brother, Rico."

"Well, what are they like?"

"Godric is a great man. He's very subdued and observant, but he has a great sense of humor. He's very intelligent and I still look to him for guidance. He's shorter than me, only about 5'7", with dark hair and light eyes. Rico is almost as tall as I am, but he has dark hair and eyes, and a darker complexion. Godric and I found him dying of multiple stab wounds in Italy, 27 years after I was turned. He had been mugged and his assailant left him for dead over a miniscule amount of silver. Just as he had asked me, Godric asked Rico if he wanted to live in the night...and the rest they say is history. He attracts as many women as I do, but he is much more reserved than I. He is quiet and contemplative like Godric, but he and I have a very similar sense of humor."

"They sound really great. I hope I get to meet them someday. Where are they now?"

"Well, Rico has been a sheriff of Pennsylvania area three for the last two hundred years; he lives in Pittsburgh. Godric, who was Sheriff of the Dallas area until a couple of decades ago, is currently wondering the country. He didn't feel that he explored it sufficiently before he settled in Texas." He answered with a smile while rolling his eyes.

"Uhm Eric… what do you mean by sheriffs? Surely you don't mean sheriffs in the police force?" I asked feeling a little confused.

Laughing he replied, "Sorry Sookie I forget to explain better sometimes. Well as you know I am king of vampires in Louisiana, most states or countries around the world have kings or queens, working under the kings and queens are sheriffs. It is a sheriff's duty to have control of their area and know all vampires that reside there. Take Louisiana for instance, it is split into 5 areas, each area has a sheriff who will deal with problems in their own area and hand down punishments if required, if however the problem is serious and the sheriff cannot deal with it or come to a solution that problem then comes to me to deal with as king. If a sheriff has a problem involving his or her self that also becomes my responsibility to deal with."

"It sure sounds like ya'll are very organized. It sounds like a real good way to handle things if you ask me." I replied.

We were quiet for a moment, and as 'Fade Into You' by Mazzy Star began to play, Eric stood and offered me his hand.

"Will you dance with me?" He asked.

"I'd love to." Was all I said before he encircled me in his arms and swept me out on to the floor.

Eric is a very graceful man and effortlessly led me in circles, our eyes never leaving the each other's faces. As we danced Eric spoke softly, telling me more about Godric and Rico and some of the unusual situations they found themselves in over the centuries. He promised me that I would meet them and stressed that he was certain that each of them would remember his stories differently.

After sharing a few more soft kisses as they swayed together to the music, Eric lead Sookie back to the table and refreshed her champagne.

"I hope you're hungry, lover. I had the chef prepare a variety of finger foods for this evening." Eric said as he began pulling insulated containers out of the picnic basket and sorting them.

"Finger foods?" I asked curiously.

"Yes, finger foods. I wish to feed you my dear."

"You're going to feed me by hand?

"Yes, I am." He said as he opened the first container. He selected a morsel and held it to my mouth and whispered, "Your appetizer my love."

I bit into the offered food and moaned as soon as the flavor registered. It was a succulent salmon and cream cheese puff and I had never tasted anything like it. Dinner carried on this way through the prosciutto, tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil canapé's, to the ripe chocolate covered strawberries that were my desert.

Eric was looking intently into my eyes as he offered me my first bite of a strawberry and I blurted before thinking, "Eric, there's something I want to say to you; something I want, no...I NEED, you to know."

"What is it Sookie?"

"Well, I know we haven't known each other long, but I think you would agree that there is a definite pull between us. I have never dreamed of, heard of, or felt anything like this before. I feel so strongly for you and it only grows more each time I see you. I want very much to be with you, I want a real relationship with you." I said blushing fiercely.

"But..." I continued before he could respond, "I want you to myself; I don't share. Could you be monogamous? Would you be with only me? Do you want a relationship?"

He moved closer, took my face between his hands as carefully as if it were made of glass, kissed me softly, and with a genuine smile on his face, said "Of course I can, and will be monogamous. Sookie, I haven't so much as looked at another woman since the night we met. I can think of no other, I want no other. If I had my way you would be my mate, my bonded and my queen."

He released me and pulled a box from the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

"As a matter of fact, I would like to give you one more gift tonight."

He handed me the box and waited with an expectant look on his face.

"Eric! You've done more than enough already! This night with you is perfect; I don't need anything else."

"I know that my love, but I really want you to have this."

"Okay, um...thank you." I said shyly, yet sincerely.

The box was not wrapped, so I lifted the top and was left speechless with the sight before me. It was a beautiful platinum filigree bracelet with diamonds and sapphires adorning its face.

"Oh my! Oh Eric it is beautiful." I exclaimed with my eyes wide and my hand to my mouth in shock.

"May I?" Eric said with an incline of his head asking permission to put the bracelet on my wrist. All I could respond with was a nod.

Ever so gently Eric removed the bracelet from its box and fastened it around my wrist. He then placed a gentle kiss to the underside of my wrist on my pulse point making my pulse beat even faster than it already was.

Keeping a soft grip on my wrist Eric told me the history and significance of the gift he had just given me. He told me how he had felt desolate and lonely until he felt a pull towards an alleyway three hundred years ago and found the bracelet. He told me how he felt some connection towards it and that his feelings changed as soon as he held the bracelet in his grasp. Tears were freely running down my checks as I pictured him alone and deeply sad, but then he went on to explain to me that the feelings that the bracelet evoked were similar to the way he now feels towards me. I couldn't help but to smile brightly.

"Sookie, I didn't know why I had such an impulse to purchase this bracelet. I've thought of it on numerous occasions over the years and never came up with an answer; that is until last evening when I woke from my daytime rest. As soon as I remembered having this stored in my safe the pieces started to come together for me. I bought this for you and only you; although I did not know it at the time. This feels so right… I know you are the reason for the bracelet calling out to me."

Eric then let go of my wrist and cupped my face in his hands; brushing his thumbs across my cheeks to remove the tears from my face. We sat like that for a long moment, just staring into each other's blue eyes. I wanted to kiss him so bad; it felt as though there was a force drawing me to him. I couldn't fight against my urge so I leant forward and kissed him with all the passion and love I felt towards him.

I put my all into it; running my hands up his chest and around his neck until I was running my fingers through his soft hair and gently caressing the back of his neck. Eric's arms circled my waist to pull me closer to him, holding me with one hand at the small of my back as his other hand found its way up to the back of my neck. I never wanted the kiss to end but of course I needed to breathe, so unfortunately I had to pull away.

After sitting cuddled into Eric's chest I broke the comfortable silence that had fell between us. "Eric I understand what a mate is and I would be happy to be your mate, I don't think I am worthy to be a queen of any sorts...but what is a bonded? I've never heard the term."

Kissing my forehead softly he explained, "In the vampire world, the term bonded can refer to two different kinds of relationships. First, some vampires who are stuck in our old ways like to have a human bonded to them for feeding and sexual pleasures and to keep complete control over said human. Before we made ourselves known to the public it was a common thing because it guaranteed a vampire that they'd have a meal source and pleasure. It was much easier to stay hidden that way.

To create a bond with a human the vampire has to share their blood while taking the human's blood at the same time. After the first blood exchange the vampire has a connection to the human and can sense their location and feel their emotions. With the second exchange these connections become stronger and it gives the vampire the ability to press their own will onto the human; thus causing the human to do what the vampire wishes. With a third and final exchange the bond grows even stronger yet and becomes permanent, but in this case, the human also feels the vampire. There is no controlling the human and the human cannot control the vampire. This kind of bond is one made of love and is extremely rare because it ties the vampire and human for life in a sort of symbiotic relationship. The bond won't ever fade as it would with only one or two exchanges of blood."

Kissing my head again Eric then continued. "A permanent bond is what I would like to have with you Sookie. I have never wanted nor felt the need to have any form of bond with a human in all of my vampire life."

"As a maker I share a bond with Pam just as I share a bond with Godric. Rico and I are also connected but only faintly now, though if we share blood again it will gain in strength again. Rico and I exchanged a few times over the centuries, and Rico and Pam exchanged many years ago to establish a family connection. It wasn't at all necessary, or typical, but we truly are a family and exchanged for that purpose alone."

"I don't want the control over you Sookie; I want you to be my equal. I want us to be more connected and I feel having you as my bonded would be perfect. We do not have to do this now, but it is something that would make me very happy in the future."

I nodded my head to show I understood and quietly thought over what had just been said. Once I had processed all of the information I thought we needed to pick up where we left off before. I couldn't resist so I sat up a little more and turned my head up to Eric and gently kissed his lips. It just wasn't enough so I took the lead and ran my tongue gently over his bottom lip silently begging for entrance which he gladly allowed with a soft moan. Just as the kiss was deepening Eric's cell began to ring.

Simultaneously we both let out a growl of frustration and unhappiness at the interruption making us pull away from one another. Eric was fumbling in his pocket for his cell and while he was doing so he said, "Sookie I'm so sorry, I purposely left my business cell in my chambers so we wouldn't be interrupted but I had to have some way to be contacted in case of an emergency. Only Pam has this number."

Without looking at the display Eric answered with his anger clearly evident in his voice, "PAMELA I warned you… this had better be a life or death situation!"

I could hear a female voice on the other end of the phone but it was too quiet for me to hear what was being said so I chose to admire my bracelet once again.

"Please forgive me your Grace: Had I known it was you I wouldn't have raised my voice. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

I looked at Eric and saw that his face had softened dramatically. I thought the change in his tone seemed strange, Eric is king… I didn't think I would ever hear him showing as much respect and deference as he clearly was now to whoever the caller was.

"Yes of course, as you wish, one moment." With that, Eric smiled at me lightly and put the phone onto the table and pressed the button to switch to speaker phone. "We are both here now your grace."

"I will make this as brief as I can so you can enjoy the remainder of your evening. I'm speaking with Ms. Stackhouse as well as Mr. Northman, yes?" I heard come from the phone. The voice was that of a lady who sounded very old and powerful but seemed respectful.

"Yes ma'am." I replied.

"Mr. Northman already knows of me but let me introduce myself to you little one. I am the Ancient Pythoness, and I am very happy to make your acquaintance. I've called to request that you accompany Mr. Northman to the upcoming conference of monarchs to be held in Pennsylvania next weekend. Here you will be under my protection and as such I guarantee your safety. If I am to understand correctly from the contract Mr. Cataliades produced for you, you are to become Mr. Northman's personal telepath."

"It's nice to meet you. Yes that is correct Ma'am." I replied as politely as I could. My Gran had made sure that I knew my manners, especially when speaking to my elders.

"Well as I was saying, I would like it if you could come to the conference. I have a proposal but I would like to speak with you face to face. Your mate will join us of course. As the conference is to be held this week and King Northman is required to attend, it seems like the perfect opportunity to meet. Would this be acceptable?"

I look up at Eric to see if I can get any indication of his feelings on this matter. He smiles at me and gives a small nod of his head to show his agreement.

"That would be fine Ma'am. Uhm I guess we will see you next week."

"Yes you will. Thank you Ms. Stackhouse. Before I go Viking… you got a special woman there, treat her well."

"I have every intention of doing so your grace. It has been a pleasure." With that the Ancient Pythoness hung up and Eric picked up his cell and put it back in his pocket with a bewildered look on his face.

Taking my hands in his Eric looked to me, "I think I should explain as best I can, the Ancient Pythoness is what some people call a seer or an oracle and she is the most respected vampire to ever exist. She is not only respected and obeyed by all vampires but other supernatural's think very highly of her as well. Over her many years on earth, and no-one knows for sure how long that is, she has made predictions or had precognitions of the future. All of her predictions have come true; that is to say, the ones she has revealed and the public is aware of have all come to pass. Only she knows to which extent she has 'seen' into the future." He gives my hand a small squeeze and I nod my head to show I understand and he continues.

"Sookie I have never known of the Ancient Pythoness ever addressing a human; let alone her doing so personally. Normally her way of doing things is to have her handmaidens do her bidding, or having someone write a letter on her behalf as she is not a fan of modern technology. For her to offer you her protection and seem so… respectful towards you is unheard of. This is either because of our contract and she wishes to use your skills, or she has had some form of premonition regarding you. In my honest opinion I think this will have something to do with your skill."

"She did say she had a proposal for me so it sure does sound like she requires my skill. I actually thought myself that she was kind and respectful and I like that in people. My Gran always told me _'Whomever one is, and wherever one is, one is always in the wrong if one is rude,'_ it's another of her sayings that I always try remember. So anyone showing me respect or manners puts them high in my books. I don't mind going along with you to the conference as long as you don't mind me coming?" I asked suddenly nervous he didn't want me there and only agreed because it was a request from the Ancient Pythoness.

Pulling me into his embrace he replied softly, "It will be my honor to have you on my arm my Sookie. I will be the envy of every vampire as none can compare to your beauty. I was actually going to ask you to accompany me anyway but was unsure if you could take the time from work."

I instantly cut in, "Oh my! I didn't even think about work! What am I going to do?"

"Shh my love all will be ok. If need be I can send someone to cover your shifts. If I may say Sookie I do believe you should begin to reconsider your position at Aphrodite's. If the Ancient Pythoness' interest in your telepathy is any indication of the future for you, lover, I believe that you will be a very busy woman indeed." Nuzzling his nose into my neck he added with humor, "Be careful my Sookie, I am a very possessive vampire and may get jealous of all the attention you will be receiving."

Swatting him on the shoulder, as I sat back in my chair while laughing I said, "Oh is that right… well be careful your majesty, I'm a very possessive human and may get jealous of all the women who no doubt throw themselves at you."

"Sookie do not call me that." He said with a low, playful, sexy growl then continued looking straight into my eyes, "I am Eric to you and always will be. And for the record, there is only one woman I want to throw herself at me."

Immediately standing again with a devious grin on my face that I could not subdue, I hiked my skirt and straddled his lap. As he placed his hands on my hips, I lifted my hands to his face slowly, my fingertips brushing along his neck and jaw, before resting them on either side of his face. I leaned in until our lips brushed and said in a whisper, "Like this?" I couldn't believe how forward I was being, but it felt so right. I was absolutely comfortable with him, and well, I wanted him bad.

He let out a growl that was more of a moan and kissed me deeply. His tongue was soft and full, caressing mine slowly and passionately. I slowly began to move my hips against his. He moved his right hand, pressing his palm flat against my back to hold me to him as he moved his hips with mine, as his left moved to my breast, caressing and squeezing slowly and sensually in time with the movement of his tongue. Heat and moisture bloomed almost violently between my thighs and I couldn't find it in myself to be embarrassed. Slowly, he began placing a series of hot, wet, sweet kisses along my jaw all the way to my ear.

"Would you like desert, my Sookie?" He whispered, reaching his left hand across the table to pick up a strawberry.

"Yes." I slowly sighed with a smile as I placed my right hand on his left to stop him from offering me the berry. I dipped my head and ran my tongue up the column of his neck, ending at the corner of his mouth to kiss him once again.

I pulled back slightly to look in his eyes after a few more moments of bliss and said, "Would you like desert, my love?"

His eyes narrowed, but before he could speak, I leaned back in and purposely pricked my tongue on his fang and kissed him deeply.

With a pained sound as his unnecessary breathing hitched, he pulled back and rumbled quietly rubbing his cheek against mine, "Sookie, please. It's hard enough not to ravage you when you are in my arms, but your taste, my love...mmmm...you're killing me."

"What are you waiting for, Viking? Take me somewhere that we can be more comfortable."

"You are certain?" he asked seriously, but I swear I heard hope in his voice.

"Absolutely." I replied looking straight into his eyes. "I'm absolutely certain."

"Sookie" he sighed, kissing my temple while standing with me still wrapped around him. I grabbed my purse from the corner of the table and he took off towards the house at vampire speed.

The property blurred by me and when we stopped we were at the bottom of the stairwell that leads to the indoor swimming pool. He set me down on my feet and we stepped through the door to the pool hallway and turned left. Halfway down along the hall on the right, we entered a janitor's closet. Needless to say I was quite confused until he opened a hidden panel along the back wall. He quickly entered a code and pressed his thumb on a sensor pad as his eye was scanned.

As soon as he did, a hidden door on the left wall opened and he raised his arm to usher me through. I took a few steps forward, finding myself in a very large and elegant sitting room with a dark brown leather couch and matching chairs and ottomans. There was a large flat panel television mounted above the stone fireplace and several large paintings of landscapes and seascapes were hung around the room.

Eric wrapped me in his arms from behind and I saw no more of the room. Instead, I turned my head back toward him and he leaned in to kiss me, running his hands back and forth across my stomach.

"Come with me?" He asked quietly.

"Of course." I replied as he stepped to my side and took me by the hand.

He led me through a doorway past an impressive office to a set of large double doors.

"Eric, I'll need my bags from the car." I said as he opened the door for me.

"Rockne will have brought them down for you already, love. Don't worry."

I could only smile in response. The man really pays attention to detail.

"See." He said pointing to the left side of the room to a low bench. "Rockne has done his job."

Eric's room is incredible. The room is decorated in calm earthy shades of brown and cream. A king size bed with leather upholstered headboard and low bench at its foot sits in the middle of the room, and an enormous intricately carved wardrobe and upholstered chairs reside on the far side of the room under an archway. To the left of the door we entered through are a series of three more doors. Eric told me that the first two are closets and storage, but the third was the bath.

He led me to the door and opened it for me to step through. Again I found myself amazed with what lay in front of me. The room is again decorated in creams and browns, but with mostly marble and ceramic tile. Two large columns grace the sides of the room and there's a long double-sink vanity along one wall. In the center of the room is a large whirlpool bath tiled in earth tones rose from the floor. There are three doors inside the room. One leads to a linen closet, another to a water closet holding a toilet and sink and the last to an enormous multi-head shower.

Eric led me back out into the bedroom and I stepped out of my shoes. I dug into my overnight bag to retrieve my toiletries and I excused myself for a human moment walking back into his oasis of a bathroom.

After taking care of the necessities, I brushed my teeth, checked my makeup and smoothed my hair. I took very little time as I was anxious to return to my Viking.

I was stunned when I walked back out into his room. He had turned the lights off and lit several candles in glass holders around the room. Soft music was playing in the background and Eric handed me another glass of champagne. I don't know where it came from, but I wasn't going to argue. He had removed his jacket and shoes, loosened his tie and undid the top button and the ones at his wrists. I took a sip and moved to set it on a side table before turning back to Eric.

He looked at me quizzically, but I just smiled and leaned up to kiss him once again, running my hands up his arms to his shoulders. Slowly we kissed and gradually moved toward the bed. We sat down at the same time when we reached it and he pulled me closer. I reached up to further loosen his tie and he removed it, tossing it across the room, and I continued with the next few buttons on his shirt so that I could kiss his chest.

Eric removed the clip from my hair and my curls fell forward to surround my face. Placing a single finger under my chin, he lifted my face and stared at me for a moment. I spoke first.

"Eric...I want to be you're bonded. Will you...um, I mean to say, if you are willing, I want to exchange with you tonight. I...I really want this with you."

My face burnt fiercely with the force of my blush and my heart was hammering in my chest; I couldn't believe that I could be this bold, that I felt comfortable enough to express myself to him, albeit nervously.

"By the Gods woman! Of course I'm willing; you are everything I want! Du känner dig som hemma, min kärlek, och jag kommer aldrig låta dig gå. Jag känner mig helt när jag är med dig, som om ditt ljus balanserar mitt mörker."

I smiled and giggled and Eric realized that I couldn't understand him. He shook his head ruefully then said again in English as he ran his fingers across my collarbone, "You feel like home, my love, and I will never let you go. I feel complete when I am with you; as though your light balances my darkness." He kissed my nose and continued, "You will never be alone again and you will never want for anything. We belong to each other. We will complete the first exchange tonight, beginning our life together."

He leaned in to kiss my forehead then moved to my mouth. As the kiss deepened I felt his hand drift up my back, then a gentle tug on the zipper of my dress. I didn't resist. Instead I moved to unbutton his shirt the rest of the way, tug it from the waistband of his trousers and brush it off of his shoulders while he was pulling the front of my dress down to uncover my bra. He took my hands and we both stood. As his shirt fell to the floor, I allowed my dress to fall.

I couldn't take my eyes off of him...off of his perfect chest. I traced each contour, each muscular ripple of flesh, over and over with hungry eyes and felt a fresh wave of my lust wash through me. I couldn't keep myself from touching him any longer. Eric was doing the same exact thing to me and we reached forward at the same time.

I ran my fingertips from the divot at the base of his throat, down over his pect's and nipples, continuing over his rippling abs, and ending at the buckle of his belt. He ran his hands, spread wide from the curve of my hips, up my sides, until they covered my breasts. As he traced the edge of my bra from the valley between them around to the clasp, I nimbly worked his belt and pants open. My bra fell to the floor and I pushed my hands into his pants at the hip to push them down his legs.

"My God" I moaned unabashedly. He was not wearing any underwear and his very large, very hard erection fell forward to brush against my abdomen.

I moved to press my body against his and he began to pull my panties down my hips. As they dropped to the floor Eric replied "My thoughts exactly, my love."

He lifted me by my waist and my arms instinctively wrapped around him. He moved us; lying me on my back as he kneeled above me, between my legs, in the middle of the bed with my head amid the pillows. Our eyes locked together as he held my right hand with his left while his right hand drifted between my legs to lightly skim against my lips teasingly. He leaned forward and took the nipple of my left breast between his lips and began licking and nibbling it, softly dragging it between his teeth and suckling it before he switched to the right breast to start all over again. He spread my lower lips and began rubbing slow circles around my clit and down to my entrance without pushing in. I held his head to my breast with my free hand, running my fingers through his hair over and over and my hips began to undulate in answer to his hand's attentions.

Eric's mouth left my breast and laid a trail of hot wet kisses down my abdomen, pausing at my navel, and then continuing down until his face hovered directly over my hot wet center. His right hand continued its massage and he moaned my name before leaning forward, pressing the flat of his tongue against my clit and licking me softly. As the intensity of his mouth increased, he pushed two fingers into my center. My body jerked and he began sucking on my pearl and gently thrusting his hand between my legs. My hips moved desperately in time with his motions and I held his head to my center as little involuntary jolts of electricity caused muscles throughout my body to twitch. A burning pressure was building in my center and my legs and Eric's hand were being coated with more and more of my fluids. Eric let out a long and low growl, vibrating my clit, and I came instantly, yelling "God, Eric!"

I've given myself orgasms in the past, but I've never experienced something like that. Never have I felt something so intense. I was trying to calm my breathing as he kissed his way back to my mouth. I could taste myself on his lips and, surprisingly, it turned me on even more.

I ran my hands down his back and grabbed his perfectly hard behind. He spread my legs wider and I moved my right hand to wrap it around his length and rub it against my dripping wet folds.

"You are ready for me my love? No qualms?" Eric asked breathlessly.

"I am more than ready...I want to feel you in me. Make love to me Eric."

He moaned, kissing me softly as he began to slowly enter me with both of our hands leading him in. I felt a brief flash of pain, but then nothing but the sensual pressure and tingle of him against my walls as he continued to move into me. We moved our hands and pressed the rest of the way together. He held still to allow me to adjust to him while my muscles pulsed around him, electric from his stimulation.

"Are you okay my love?" He whispered, willing himself to remain still.

"Oh yes, Eric." I forced out breathily, still absorbed in the new sensations ripping through my body.

I wrapped my legs around his back as we continued to kiss and I began slowly moving my hips back and forth. With a groan he began moving with me, cradling my head with one hand while caressing my side with the other. I felt more of my wetness spread down my thighs as a swirling heat and pulsing electricity built within me. I could feel every inch of his length as it moved in and out of me and I began moaning uncontrollably. Eric released my mouth and I latched on to his chest, nipping and sucking his nipple. His thrusts became more forceful and I moved both of my hands back to his ass to pull him back into me.

I felt like I was losing my grip on reality: Eric and the feelings he created in me were becoming my entire world. We moved together sensually for what felt like eternity. Both of us soon began moving with more purpose, growling, whining and moaning until both of our bodies locked up as we yelled together, coming brutally at the same moment. Eric shot stream after stream of his cool seed into me as my muscles continued to spasm forcefully around him.

We lay together quietly, him still pressed on top of me but holding the brunt of his weight off of me until we calmed. After a few minutes of gently trailing my fingers along his back and shoulders, he kissed me, disengaged and rolled to his side. I moved to face him and he softly pushed strands of my hair behind my ear.

Blushing, I said hesitantly but with sincerity, "Thank you, Eric. Thank you for making my first time so special and so...intense. I never imagined that it would feel so good; I was afraid of the pain."

"Are you very sore my love?"

"No, not terribly. I feel it, but it isn't bad."

"Well then...I want to thank you as well Sookie. This is the first time I've ever made love to someone I was truly in love with."

I smiled brightly at him as he continued.

"I've only ever made love with Godric and Pam, but that was something completely different than what you have given me. I love them as my family, and because vampires are very sexual creatures, sex is not unusual between makers and children. But Sookie, making love to you, being in love with you, is an experience I've never imagined."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he gasped, inhaling sharply with a look of wonderment tinged with confusion on his face.

He soon focused his gaze on my eyes and said earnestly, "I love you Sookie."

I felt a tear fall from the corner of my eye as I smiled and said resolutely, "I love you too, Eric" as I rolled toward him, leading him to lie on his back. We began kissing again as I moved to straddle him. When I broke the kiss for air, he began kissing my neck and shifting his hips. He was driving me crazy again and I wanted nothing more than to feel him inside me once more.

"Eric." I whispered, grabbing his cock to align us once more. "Let me be your second time as well."

Without waiting for a response I dropped my hips down over him, forcefully thrusting him all the way inside me. The intensity of the sensation that motion caused left me shocked for a moment, but I recovered quickly and began to find a rhythm, grinding against him and lifting myself to move him in and out of me. Eric moved in time with me, pulling me down on him hard with one hand with each thrust while squeezing and teasing my breasts.

Eric quickly sat up, cradling me in his lap as we continued our motions. His length seemed to go even deeper this way and it was the most delicious feeling. He kissed me for a minute then pulled away to look into my eyes as we continued to move.

"Sookie, bond with me my love...bite my neck and drink from me." He said, sounding almost desperate.

"Yes" I sighed as I leaned in to kiss his mouth once again. I moved slowly, kissing along his jaw to his neck. When I reached the curve I kissed his skin one last time before sinking my teeth into his flesh. I felt Eric's fangs slip into my neck at the same time, but there was no pain. The sweet and savory flavor of his blood exploded on my tongue and I felt my body begin to hum. Suddenly I could feel every pull of blood I took from him flash through me, alternating with the sensation of each pull he was taking of my blood. We both started moaning loudly as our bodies jerked almost violently against one another. We pulled our mouths away from each other's necks and screamed gutturally as we came even harder than the last time.

With our eyes open as we tried to calm ourselves we finally noticed a light gold shimmer radiating from our skin and hovering near us like a mist. It was slowly fading as we calmed and neither of us knew what to say about it. We slowly peeled apart and lay on our sides facing each other again; my fingers dancing along Eric's biceps, his drifting along my hip and thigh.

I was a little freaked out about the glow, but I wasn't frightened. Eric was amazed and feeling a distinct sense of adoration toward me.

"Shit!" I yelped suddenly, my heart rate picking right back up.

"What is it Sookie? Calm down love. What has made you so unsettled?"

"Eric, I feel you. I distinctly feel your emotions. That isn't supposed to happen until the third blood exchange, is it? Did something go wrong?"

"Nothing feels wrong per se, but you are correct that it is not supposed to feel this deep yet. I feel everything Sookie...you feel amazing. Perhaps this is an anomaly, or perhaps it was meant to be. It may take a bit of getting used to on both of our parts, but I welcome it nonetheless."

"Oh, good. Being connected to you this way is amazing...I love how you feel; it fills me somehow. My only concern is that it happened so quickly. But if nothing feels wrong or bad to you then I am content. I love you and I want this with you."

"My Sookie, I love you too" he said wistfully, smiling as he leaned in for another kiss. As his tongue brushed mine, I shivered as I registered the echoes of his building pleasure swirling through my bloodstream. This connection is going to prove to be an amazing amount of fun and sensation!

"You're addictive" I stated when I moved my lips to take a breath.

"As are you. Does this mean that we'll have to attend meetings of a twelve-step program of some sort?"

"No, not yet. I think that we should rely on peer support for a while. See if we can't help one another along."

Chuckling, he kissed my lips chastely before saying "Come with me Sookie. There is only an hour and a half before dawn and I want to enter you into my security system."

"You're giving me free access to your chambers?" I asked in astonishment as we reached our feet.

Eric began leading me back out to the main sitting area as he answered "Yes. I want you be able to reach me whenever you need to...it does not matter if I am awake or not. This will be a safe place for you if you were to ever need it and I want you near as much as possible. I know you would not harm me."

"Well, okay. If you're sure...'

"I'm more than sure. For all practical purposes, you are already my permanently bonded. Others will not know that yet, but it is still true due to how connected we are. My home is your home always my love. Now come and stand in front of this panel."

I did as he asked and waited while he entered his code, pressed some buttons and instructed me to enter an original numeric code that only he and I would know. It had to be at least eight characters, so I used twelve: my Gran's birth and death dates in sequence. He pressed some more buttons and then asked me to place my thumb on the pad. It beeped as it registered my print and Eric again pressed a few more buttons. Finally, he had me lean in and allow the contraption to scan my eye, the action also being confirmed by a beep. And that was it; I had unlimited access to his private chambers.

"While I hope to tire you out so that you sleep next to me all day, entering you into the system will allow you to access the rest of the house should you become bored. There are many amenities down here, including a small kitchenette, and you are welcome to anything you like, but I will not contain you."

"I'm sure I'll stay down here tomorrow. I'll probably sleep in and then I want to check out the collection of books in your office. I just hope that some are in English."

"Many of them are in English and they're organized according to language. So, I can dare to hope to find you in my bed when I wake?" He asked, scooping me up bridal style.

"How 'bout I just promise now to be there? Save you the anxiety of hoping."

"You're too good to me Sookie. How can I make it up to you?" He asked teasingly. "Hmmm...I know," he continued, "I'll give you a massage in the bath before we retire to bed."

He immediately began moving toward the bathroom and I had no complaints. From the moment I laid eyes on that tub I wanted to try it out with him. The next thing I knew, he was setting me down on the ledge of the tub and turning on the faucet. He turned to quickly light several candles around the room before returning to pick me up and settle both of us in the warm rising water.

I was sitting in front of Eric, between his legs, and he twisted my hair up off of my shoulders and pinned it with a clip. A couple moments later, warm water was being pored over by back repeatedly. He pulled a bottle of oil out of nowhere and without saying a word poured some into his hand and began rubbing my neck, shoulders, and back. His hands were very talented and I instantly began to melt.

Once he was certain I was completely putty, he reached in front of me and began massaging my breasts until I started to squirm. He sank deeper into the water and pulled me higher up on his body until the head of his dick jutted up between my legs tauntingly. I thought to myself _"He's teasing me, or...ouch!...maybe since he just pinched my nipples so hard he's daring me...begging me...Yum!"_

I took the hint and tilted myself to lead his length back inside me. This time was slow and sensual. We moved together sedately as he continued to massage my breasts and my clit, my hands holding his, as he kissed, nipped, and sucked on my neck and shoulders. We came intensely and quietly and rested together in the warm water. I'm sure that I'll find myself quickly spoiled by his brand of massage.

As soon as we were functional again, we quickly helped each other wash with the hand-held shower and dry and dress for bed. I was absolutely spent...deliriously blissed-out and sated, and completely spent. Eric noticed this right away and carried me to bed; he blew out all the candles then joined me in bed. He covered us both, spooned close behind me and whispered, "Just sleep my love. Dream of me and I will see you in the evening" as he kissed my temple.

"Mmm...K, goodnight Eric. Love you." I mumbled sleepily as I quickly began drifting to sleep.

"I love you too, my mate." I swear I heard him reply sentimentally as I submitted to the warmth and comfort fogging my brain.

**Please review and let us know what you think. Thank you.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you to all our readers. You are all amazing!**

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris. We are just playing!**

Chapter 9

When I woke the next day I couldn't tell that I had actually opened my eyes because the room was so dark. For obvious reasons I didn't expect the sunshine streaming through the windows, but to not have a single ray of light was a little unsettling at first. The only thing I could see was the subtle glow of Eric's strong arms around my middle as he spooned up behind me. I detangled myself from his arms, sat up in bed, and after some fumbling in the dark I found the switch for the lamp on the bedside table.

When I turned the lamp on I immediately slammed my eyes shut because the light hurt my eyes but I soon adjusted and squinted to look at Eric; still laying on his side looking every bit the sex god that he truly is. My bladder made itself known though, so I got out of bed, put on Eric's shirt from last night, smiling as I took in his scent, and made my way into the bathroom. Once my human needs were taken care of I went over to the basin to brush my teeth and wash my face but before I could do that I found a note attached to the mirror.

_My sweet Sookie,_

_Mere words cannot express the gratitude I have for you for blessing me with the best night of my existence. I hope that I am able to bring you the joy you have brought me. I have informed Rockne that you will be calling for food and anything else you may need; please feel free to have your food brought down here if that is your wish. I don't have any appointments this evening until after I have taken you to work, so I look forward to waking with you by my side._

_Yours E x_

With a big smile on my face I put the note away in my overnight bag and went on with brushing my hair and teeth and washing my face, opting to take a shower and get ready later. On my way back to the bedroom I heard my cell phone ringing so I quickly grabbed it from the bedside table and answered.

"Hello"

"Good afternoon Ms Stackhouse it is Mr. Cataliades. I am calling in regards to your contracts with Mr. Northman. They are finished so I would like to make an appointment with yourself and Mr. Northman to sign them; it would be easier if you were both present but it isn't compulsory. When would be a good time for you Ms Stackhouse?"

"Actually Mr. Cataliades I am at the palace as we speak. I know Mr. Northman doesn't have any engagements until later this evening so I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you were here say an hour and half after sunset, that way we can both be present."

"That will be fine Ms Stackhouse. I will see you in 2 hours. Good day to you dear."

With that he hung up and left me speechless from his last words. Two hours? So that means it must only be 30 minutes to sunset...I can't believe I slept so long! _"Well I guess that is a good enough excuse to lie back down beside my vampire" _I thought with a smirk. So that is exactly what I did.

I pulled back the covers and got in facing Eric, pulled his arm back over my waist and lay there thinking about Mr. C and the contracts. His call reminded me about the spies in the compound and I wondered what Eric was doing, or planning to do about them. To be sure that their plans had not changed, I focused my mind and found each of the three of them in the donor's dorms. I was surprised that I was able to reach that far with my mind...but luckily I was and found that Josephine was thinking about a text she had received that indicated that the plans would not be enacted for another month and a half because neither Stacey (the repentant spy) nor Samuel were thinking of anything relevant.

At ease with the spy situation once again, I contented myself by watching Eric sleep while stroking his hair back off of his face. After some time of marveling over how extremely handsome he is and the feelings he evokes in me I couldn't resist, so I leaned in to place a sweet kiss on his lips. Of course this is the moment he woke up. I felt his arm tighten around my waist and he said, "Mmm… Sookie, I hope to never wake from another day's rest without you in my bed. How was your day beautiful?"

"I haven't been awake long, maybe about an hour? It would seem someone tired me out last night and I slept the whole day." I said with what I hoped was a sexy smile before continuing, "Mr. Cataliades phoned my cell to see when we could meet with him to sign the contracts. I hope you don't mind, but I told him an hour and half after sunset should be ok? If it's not, I can call him back and rearrange."

"No that will be fine Sookie. I'm glad you slept so well." He said with a wiggle of his eyebrows then lent in and gave me a kiss that was enough to get my libido jumping.

"Eric" I moaned hoping he would realize that I wanted more as my hands wandered up to cup his face to hold him as close as possible. Once I had to pull away to breathe, Eric kissed along my jaw line and back to that special spot behind my ear making me hotter and hotter with want. Eric moved the blankets off of us and rolled over onto me before kneeling in between my legs. Looking down at me and taking in my form in his shirt while he caressed my sides he said, "Lover you look tantalizingly good, that shirt looks so much better on you than it does me. I want you...I can't get enough of you." He then lowered himself back down so he was lying over me but still holding his own weight on his elbows. The feel of his well formed chest brushing over my breasts made my nipples instantly hard for him.

I grabbed Eric by the back of his neck and pulled him in for another kiss only this time I ran my tongue over his fangs. I noticed how much he liked it last night and wanted to create that reaction in him again. I ran my hands over his shoulders and could feel every ripple of his muscles while he took my covered left breast in his hand and played with my nipple between his finger and thumb causing me to arch my back and moan. Once again Eric's mouth left mine and started placing open mouth kisses down my jaw line, over my collar bone and into the valley between my breasts while slowly unbuttoning the shirt with one hand and taking my right nipple into his mouth. As soon as his cold tongue licked over my hardened nipple they both hardened all the more. "God Eric that feels so good." I said while my fingernails dug into his back causing a satisfied growl to come from him.

As I finished off removing the shirt, his hand left my breast and he moved his mouth to pay homage to the left one as well, this time using his fangs to tease me with. His hand wandered down over my tummy, up my side and back down over the curve of my hip, gently caressing everywhere possible until he moved his whole body down the bed so his face was near my heat. He let his tongue run out and gave a long lick along my panty covered folds. "Mmm, delicious Sookie." He said his voice dripping with sex.

"Eric, please" I moaned, my body twitching involuntarily. He responded by pulling my panties down ever so slowly, placing kisses down one leg and back up the other until he reached my femoral artery and gave it a lick. He moved to my hot centre and ran his tongue from bottom to top, gathering my juices, then flicking and sucking on my nub intently.

The sensations were so intense it didn't take long until I was squirming and gripping the sheets in my hands, panting and holding on for dear life. Eric placed an arm over my stomach to gently hold me down, while sliding one long digit, then another into my dripping wet sex, "So wet for me my Sookie." My only response was a distracted "Uh huh." It didn't take much more of the sucking and flicking of his tongue while using his fingers inside of me pushing and pressing insistently to give extra pleasure before my walls clamped down on his fingers and my juices flowed freely, which he greedily lapped up while I was convulsing, moaning, and shouting out his name with my orgasm.

By the time I opened my eyes again, Eric was hovering over me with hooded eyes and he lent in to kiss my swollen lips. I could taste myself on him and it turned me on even more again. I pulled him down to me more so that more of his weight was resting over my body and I could feel his hardened length pressing into my thigh. I wanted him to be inside me at this moment more than ever. Moving my lips from his, I nipped the skin on his neck causing a deep rumble in his throat and his hips to jerk. "Eric now, take me now." I begged in a whisper. He lined himself up to my entrance and looked lovingly into my eyes as he penetrated me slowly, pushing in a little then moving out so only the tip of his shaft was left inside of me, then pushing in a little more the next time. My patience soon ran out and I grabbed his ass and pulled him deep into me, causing us both to moan out each other's names in pleasure.

We made slow sweet love, touching each other where ever we could reach before it all became too much and I ground out between clenched teeth, "Oh Eric, harder please harder." He gripped my legs, hitched them up over his hips, and reached under my bottom to hold me higher and started thrusting harder and faster hitting my g-spot every time. He quickly brought me to the edge of the cliff of orgasm, each thrust sending shockwaves from my center up to my scalp and down to my toes, and with one more thrust I was sent spiraling over the edge of another mind-blowing orgasm. Eric slowed his thrusting until my muscles stopped grabbing him so tightly and my breathing returned to normal before picking up the pace again.

"This is right, this is best" he grunted out before releasing my hips to shift forward to claim one of my breasts with his mouth again, only this time scraping his fangs and drawing a thin line of blood. The mix of pain and pleasure had me right back on the edge again and before I even thought about what I was doing, I leaned forward and sank my blunt teeth into Eric's neck causing him to roar out "Oh yes!… Oh Fuck, Sookie," before sinking his fangs into my neck bringing us both to climax at the same time. I was again confused and amazed by the energetic hum echoing between us and golden mist-like glow dancing across our skin. This time, however, the glow was highlighted with firefly like sparks that would occasionally pop out and away from us.

Eric stayed on top of me, licking the small puncture marks on my neck lazily, and then he placed a soft kiss on my lips. He rolled to the side pulling me with him so that we lay facing each other. We stared at one another, running our fingertips along our skin while we gathered ourselves back together.

"Eric, I'm so sorry… I shouldn't have bitten you without asking. I didn't even think about it...It just kinda happened."

"Sookie, my love, that was the most pleasure I have ever experienced. Please do not apologize; we have already agreed to bond and it was just another step towards doing that. Besides, it's yours. My body, my blood, my heart, it's all yours." He said stroking the hair from my face.

"_My god… what have I done to deserve you! I don't think you know how perfect you are my Sookie."_

I froze in panic thinking, _"What the hell… his lips didn't even move… oh shit, oh no please don't let that of been his thoughts. Oh God! What the hell will happen now? He won't want me anymore. I finally find love and my god damned curse is going to be the end of it."_

"Sookie… Sookie, what's wrong, your emotions are all over the place. I didn't hurt you did I? I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to, I think I just got lost in the pleasure of the moment." His panic was coming through the bond loud and clear as well as in his voice.

"Eric stop… you didn't hurt me. I swear I didn't mean to, and it's never happened before. Please tell me this won't mean the end of us and our relationship." I said with tears filling my eyes.

"Sookie please calm down, I told you that biting me was fine. Please don't cry my sweet Sookie."

"It's not that Eric, I heard you… I mean in my mind. I heard you saying how perfect I am and asking what you've done to deserve me." I paused and Eric didn't say anything so I continued. "I swear to god I've never heard you or another vampire before Eric."

Eric silenced me by putting his finger over my lips and said, "Shh Sookie, it's ok. I don't think you will be able to hear vampires: if I'm right, this will be because of the bond. I can't be 100% sure because I've never heard of a bond like ours but we can test it out. Check to see if you can hear me Sookie."

I took a deep breath to calm myself, closed my eyes to concentrate on Eric's void and heard… nothing. I couldn't help but smile because the last thing I want is to hear is his thoughts; I know what damage that could do to our relationship. Just to be sure I opened my eyes and placed my hands on either side of his face and concentrated again and I still got nothing.

"You are still a void Eric, how can that be? I know I definitely heard you…"

I could see he was thinking it over so I remained silent until he was ready to talk.

"_Can you hear me now Sookie?" _

My shocked reaction must have shown on my face because Eric continued out loud, "I think you can hear me only when I 'think' directly to you. If you can't hear me by trying but can hear me when I direct my thoughts at you I can't help but think that this is a good thing my love, an advantage we will be able to use. Even if you could hear all of my thoughts, Sookie, never think that would end what we have. I can't say we would enjoy it very much, but I love you Sookie Stackhouse and nothing but my final death will stop me being by your side." He then pulled me into his arms, placing a series of kisses along the side of my face and on my temple, and we lay like that for some time just letting love flow between us through the bond. I couldn't help but thank God that Eric still wanted me.

"Come, let's have a shower and dress my love. Mr. Cataliades shall be here soon."

After we had showered and were both drying off, my tummy made some very unhappy noises reminding me that I still hadn't eaten today. Using vampire speed Eric left the bathroom and was back within a minute to inform me he called Rockne and my dinner would be done soon. If Mr. C showed up while I was eating I could just eat throughout the meeting.

Once we were ready Eric gave me a chaste kiss and took a hold of my hand and led me from his bedroom. We found Pam waiting for Eric in his sitting room. "Master" she said as she bowed her head.

"Pam, what can we do for you?" Eric asked.

"Master I am sorry to interrupt, but there is something that needs your attention this evening. May I have a private word?"

"Whatever it is, Pam, you can say it in front of Sookie."

"As you wish, Master. You are needed at Fangtasia after we close tonight; unfortunately there is a serious matter that only you as king can deal with." Pam paused obviously not knowing how much to say with me present but Eric just nodded his head and made a 'go on' gesture with his hand.

"The matter is between two vampires and a pet. James Worthington, the vampire that owns the Shreveport Dry Cleaners, claims the pet was his until another called Mickey glamoured her to hate James and she left him. He claims that she was glamoured to begin a new relationship with Mickey, shortly after she left James; he woke from his daytime rest and found her in his house with a silver net and also a stake. He tried to glamour her to find out why she was there but couldn't get passed Mickey's glamour. He suspects Mickey sent her to kill him while he was in his daytime slumber as they have been rivals for a decade now."

"Ok Pam set the hearing up to start 30 minutes after closing."

She nodded her head in understanding and then turned her attention to me with a smirk. "Sookie you smell even more delicious with my master's blood running through your veins. I really like you for a breather, Sookie, and I can feel that both of you are very happy… however, if you do anything to hurt my master, no matter how fond of you I am, you will have me to answer to."

I could tell she was being sincere about liking me, we had actually gotten on very well so far, but I could also tell she was telling me sincerely that she is loyal to her master before anyone else. One thing that confused me was when she said 'I can feel…' I looked up to Eric and he seemed to be thinking something over, but checking the bond I could tell he was also feeling confused which Pam must have also picked up on.

"Master, I can feel your bond with Sookie, it is only faint but I can still get a feeling of what Sookie's emotions are. If I didn't know any better, I would say that you're already permanently bonded, and tightly too. I've never heard of a child feeling other bonds through their master unless they have also shared blood with the human, but I'm certain I feel her as well. You have never shared your blood before so this is a new feeling for me…"

I couldn't help how much I was blushing now just imagining what else Pam can pick up from the bond. My God! What if she got feelings of our lust and knew when we were making love? Pam only made me blush more by winking_. "Calm down Sookie! I bet she can feel your embarrassment!" _ I scolded myself mentally.

"This is unexpected and it is not something that I am familiar with as I have never heard of such a thing either. My bond with Sookie is proving to be highly unusual...I will try to keep the bond between us closed as much as I can Pam." Eric said

"No master that is not necessary. As I said, I like Sookie, and feeling your happiness makes me happy too. It really is only very faint and it weakens with distance to where I can only feel our normal master child bond."

"As you wish Pam; I will leave it how it is for now, however, we will discuss this again at a later time. Sookie and I have a meeting with Mr. Cataliades soon, so I will see you at Fangtasia when I arrive."

With that we made our way upstairs to the dining room and Rockne quickly brought me a beautiful dinner of roast lamb with vegetables and Eric a goblet of blood. Once I finished my dinner I was served a slice of strawberry cheesecake with pouring cream and I requested a cup of coffee. Half way through my desert Rockne escorted Mr. C to us, dropping off my overnight bag, and we went over our contracts. They were perfectly in order so Eric and I signed our contract where indicated and wished Mr. C a good night.

After sitting and chatting for a while, I noticed the time and let out a sigh. Eric helped me to my feet and then we made our way to his red Corvette so that he could take me to work. Once we were on our way he cleared his throat and asked "Sookie, would you be able to come to Fangtasia after your shift tonight? If you don't mind, I would like to begin to present you as my mate to let others know that you are important to me and are to be respected. Having you by my side at a hearing would send a very strong message that you aren't just a pet because normally humans do not get to see how vampires run things. It could also prove helpful to have you there if you were to read the human. I promise to find a reason for you and me to speak to the human alone so you can read her without prying eyes." He was as close to rambling as I'd ever seen him.

"Sure, Eric. I'd love to help you. It's no problem at all."

"Thank you, love."

I could feel his worry through the bond as he tried to figure out how to say what else was on his mind, but he soon continued stating, "Sookie although I've only showed you the soft and caring side of me, I cannot be like that so much around other vampires as it would make me appear weak, I still have to show who is king. I regret that I will have to act differently, but I can not show any weakness if you do come tonight. I will have to act as the ideal king and that means I will have to hand out punishment to at least one of the vampires if I find them guilty, and the punishment could seem extremely harsh to a human. You will also have to show me respect and never question me in front of my underlings, even if you don't agree with what I say or do." While saying this he had such a low tone and I could feel his distress though the bond. I could tell this is a part of being king that he hates. He reached over and took my hand before he continued.

"Lover I'm not saying that you can't voice your opinion or tell me that you think I am wrong, all I ask is that you do so in private unless I ask for your personal opinion in front of others. You would then be able to tell me your opinions, but I ask you do this in a respectful way."

I fully understood what he was saying; of course with him being king I couldn't throw a hissy fit with others around. I also knew that he was a fair king anyway, so whatever punishments he gives out I know will be fair.

I sent as much love and understanding through the bond as I could and answered. "Eric I fully understand what you are saying and I will not embarrass you in front of others. Just don't expect me to back down in private. Jason always told me I was stubborn as a mule because I would never back down from arguments with him as a kid." I finished smirking, remembering some of our silly arguments. Eric kissed my hand and said "Thank you for being so understanding." and we continued the drive in comfortable silence.

Neither one of us wanted to say 'goodbye' when we arrived in front of Aphrodite's Closet, so I leaned over the console, placed my hand on his cheek and kissed him softly. He responded instantly and enthusiastically, kissing me deeply in return. We continued this way for several minutes until suddenly a great splash of water hit the passenger side window causing me to jump. Eric growled as we broke apart in haste, only to laugh when he saw that Amelia was standing next to the car with a shit-eating grin on her face.

"Ooh...I'll remember that, Ames!" I said with a laugh as I leaned in for one more kiss from Eric.

"As will I, dear one." Eric growled lowly in my ear, causing goose bumps to rise on my exposed skin.

I laughed a little and told Eric that I'd see him as soon as we closed the store and got out of the car. I stood on the sidewalk and watched him drive away until he was out of sight. When he was gone, Amelia grabbed my arm to lead me into the store.

"Girl, I need details! The way the two of you were attached to each other in that car tells me that there is one hell of a story waiting for you to spill to your best friend! There is no getting out of this...you will give me details!"

"Ames!" I squealed, "What makes you think that I'm the type to kiss and tell? When have I ever done anything to make you think that you could get detail so easily?" I asked teasingly.

"It simply doesn't matter girl. With a man like that, I know that there's a tale to tell!"

We were in the break room by this point and as I deposited my purse in my locker I looked at Amelia and said, "Yes Ames, it was a fabulous night! I can't even describe in words exactly how fabulous it was."

"Try." Amelia said with the most perfect straight face I'd ever seen as we walked out front to relieve the day shift. After the other girls went on their way, I continued to give Ames a few juicy details...

"Well, we had a private dinner at the gazebo beside the big pond and we never saw a soul all night. It was lit with fairy lights wound through the trees and rafters and lamps and candles all around. He had arrangements of orange and red roses and gorse flowers displayed everywhere. We danced and talked, and made out, of course. He hand-fed me the most spectacular picnic dinner I could imagine and just treated me like I was made of gold."

"Oh, that's so sweet and wonderful! Now get to the good stuff girl!"

Thankfully, the single customer in the store at the time made her way to the counter at that moment, giving me a minute to decide how much detail to tell Ames. But once she paid and was on her way out the door, Amelia persisted with her line of questioning.

"So...what I want to know is did you give in? Did you have sex with him?"

"Um...no. I'd have to say that it was much, much more than sex. Ames, we started a blood bond. Do you know what that is?"

"I've heard of them, and Pam has mentioned them in passing, but I'm not sure my info is accurate."

"Well, we've exchanged blood twice now. One exchange typically allows the vampire to sense the location and emotions of the human, and two enhances these effects, usually allowing the vampire some measure of control over the human. But, according to Eric and Pam, though we've only shared blood twice, the bond Eric and I now have is more like a permanent bond that results with a third exchange, which is a completely symbiotic relationship." I rambled, hoping that this information would satisfy her curiosity.

"Okay, so where does that leave you and Mr. Tall, blonde and deadly? Can he control you now?"

"No, I don't think so. I was able to feel him after the first exchange, and let me tell you, the sensation is incomparable. I've never felt closer to anyone or more secure in their feelings or opinion of me. I truly believe..."

"What, Sookie...what do you believe?"

"Ames, I truly believe he will be my only...he will be my only love. There are so many things that make me believe that he's my forever." I answered blushing fiercely.

"Well girl, I know that you aren't blind in this, so I believe you. There is just something between the two of you and I can't wait to see where it all goes!"

"Me neither! Now, let's get to work...the dayshift didn't put out any new merchandise and the shelves aren't going to stock themselves! By the way, I need to go to Fangtasia after work tonight...will you come with me?"

"Of course I will...besides, Pam already called." She responded with a giggle. "I can't wait to see her...or to see you and the king together!"

We went about stocking shelves and cleaning the store while things were quiet until the store phone in the back office rang. Amelia went to answer it while I carried on in my own little world thinking about the hearing tonight. When Amelia came back out the front she looked distressed and asked me to come take a seat so she could talk to me.

She told me the call had come from Mrs. Frater, the store owner. She told Amelia that, unfortunately, she was losing money from having the store open at night because customer traffic just wasn't what she had expected it to be. She offered to give us two weeks' notice but after that she had to close the store at night. After some discussion between the two of us, we agreed this was for the best because of our new contracts with Eric. We would need to travel and work a lot at night and since we both are dating vampires it would give us more time with them.

Several hours later, after Amelia and I finished all of our closing duties and locked the doors, we jumped in her car and drove the short distance to Fangtasia.

Pam was standing at the doors checking ID's in one of her typical Fangtasia tight-fitting latex outfits looking quite bored. That was until she spotted Amelia and myself and her frown grew into a bright smile. "How are my two favorite humans this evening?" she asked then gave Amelia a kiss on her cheek.

"We're good Pam, just glad to be finished our shift and looking forward to a drink." Amelia answered.

"Well you girls go on in; drinks are on Eric and feel free to sit in his booth."

"Um, Pam...which booth is Eric's?" I asked

"The only one empty near the back: no-one is allowed to sit there unless invited by Eric. I'm sure he will join you as soon as he knows you are here. I will be along shortly, as soon as I can get someone else to cover the door."

With that said we went inside after Pam refused to let us pay the cover charge and went to the bar for a drink. Again we weren't allowed to pay; the bartender refused to take our money. With our drinks in hand we moved through the crowds to sit in Eric's booth.

After sitting chatting for a little while Pam came over and slipped into the booth beside Amelia and started kissing her fiercely. I felt a little awkward sitting opposite them and watching so I turned my attention to the crowds that had gathered.

Fangtasia was again filled with the typical fangbangers and tourists with a few vampires mixed in here and there. I let my shields down to hear what was going through people's minds and immediately regretted it. I have to admit I felt myself getting jealous and extremely possessive listening to the fangbanger's thoughts because it seems my handsome bonded was at the center of at least ninety percent of their fantasies. Eric must have picked up on my mood change because he was soon standing by the booth looking as amazing as ever.

Ignoring Pam and Amelia's make out session he said "Lover, are you ok? I felt your mood change so suddenly." While taking my hand in his and kissing my pulse point.

"Erm, yeah Eric I'm fine. I just heard some things I didn't really want or need to hear."

Eric started smirking as he sat in the seat next to me before he thought to me_. "Was that jealously and possessiveness I picked up from you my lover? You have no reason to be jealous: I can guarantee you I have no interest whatsoever in any other person here tonight but you my love."_ I looked to Eric and gave him a smile to let him know I had heard him and he put his arm around my shoulders before thinking, _"You are mine as I am yours beloved."_

Amelia and Pam then finally finished making out and apologized to me for doing so while I was there, then they greeted Eric.

The four of us sat and talked amongst ourselves, just getting to know each other more really. It was really good to know that I had a lot in common with Pam. We both enjoyed reading and I was surprised to hear that Pam likes romances as much as I do. She told me some of her favorite authors and books from before I was even born and she told me she would lend them to me. Pam also has a passion for shopping which I guessed was more extreme than mine and Amelia's if how much lingerie she bought form Aphrodite's was anything to go by.

Eric joined our conversation laughing while he said, "I can verify Pam's love of shopping by showing you both my bank statements and credit accounts for certain stores."

"Well I don't get to look this good without shopping master and it is, after all, a parent's responsibility to provide for their children." She replied sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.

"On the topic of shopping… why don't you and Pam go shopping on Thursday night after your shift? You will both need outfits for the conference. My treat of course." Eric asked me.

"Yes I guess you are right, I could use something new for the conference, but Eric you really don't have to pay. I actually needed a shopping trip soon anyway."

Kissing my head Eric replied, "My love I insist. Nothing will make me happier than treating you, just be sure to buy an outfit for my eyes only." He said sending me a mental picture of me in some very sexy lingerie making me blush from my head to my toes.

"Thank you Eric, that sounds wonderful." We sat for a while chatting some more and I noticed Pam was quite uncomfortable and fidgeting which was strange as I have never seen a vampire fidget. Eric must have also picked up on it because he turned his attention to Pam asking her if she was all right.

"I am fine master." She replied before turning in her seat to face Amelia and take hold of her hand.

"Amelia, sweetie, some parts of the conference will be highly boring but I'm sure we could find something to make it more fun. Would you accompany me as my date?" If I didn't know any better I would say Pam felt anxious and bashful.

"It would be my honor Pam. Thank you." Amelia replied giving Pam a kiss.

"It would also be my honor Amelia if you would allow me to treat you to a shopping trip with the girls on Thursday night if you are joining us for the conference. I can also get two ladies to cover both yours and Sookie's shifts for the two nights we will be away."

"Thank you Eric that would be lovely. However, I doubt we will need anyone to cover our shifts; the boss called tonight to tell us she was losing money and has to close the store at night in two weeks time. I'm sure if I rang her she would be more than happy if we didn't need the two weeks' notice. This way we can start working for you sooner and Mrs. Frater won't lose anymore income."

With that agreed Eric asked if I would like to dance and at first I hesitated because of the conversation we had earlier about him showing no weaknesses and there were vampires present tonight. "_I guess dancing is ok"_ I thought to myself.

As if he could read my mind Eric thought to me, _"I can feel your hesitation Sookie. Dancing and kissing and such are fine. It's just expected that you show me deference." _As if to prove a point he gave me a toe curling, panty soaking kiss before leading me to the dance floor.

Returning back to the booth where Amelia and Pam were sitting Eric said,"Sookie my love I'm afraid I still have some work to finish up in my office. You are welcome to join me but I'm sure it will be more entertaining out here."

"That's ok Eric but thank you for the offer. I will just stay with Amelia and Pam." Giving me another kiss and a mental message of _'Sookie, I cannot get you off my mind! I will return to you as soon as I can.'_

Eric went back to his office while we three girls sat chatting and drinking and we even had a couple of dances. Before I knew it all the humans were leaving and only I, Amelia, Pam, some other vampires and the staff remained in the bar. The staff were cleaning and doing their closing duties when another vampire came in and walked straight up to Pam, inclining his head deferentially and stating "Lieutenant Ravenscroft, I am here as requested."

"Good evening, James. I'd like to introduce Ms. Sookie Stackhouse, Eric's bonded mate, and my girlfriend, Ms. Amelia Broadway. The king will hear your claim shortly, as soon as Mickey and the human arrive. You may have a blood while you wait."

"Thank you, Mam. It was a pleasure meeting you Ms. Stackhouse, and you Ms. Broadway." He responded, inclining his head once again and backing away to go to the bar.

Only about two minutes later, another vampire entered the bar with a rather dazed looking and downtrodden human girl. The vampire was scraggly-looking with pock marks and scars on his face. He kept reaching behind him, pushing the human further back as he approached Pam.

"_Lieutenant_" he said with a sneer and exaggerated dip of his head "I am here as _ordered_."

"I see this, Mickey. Is that the human in question?"

"Yes, it is" he began but then grabbed my wrist as he continued "but I will forgo my claim on that one for this one. I will have a lot of fun breaking..."

"Mickey!" Eric Roared, appearing instantly behind Mickey while clamping the idiot's arms securely to his sides. "Remove your hand from my mate now or I will remove it for you!"

As soon as Mickey dropped my wrist Eric threw Mickey across the room forcefully into the far wall, leaving a large dent in it and Mickey dazed and immobile for a couple of minutes.

"Forgive me, _Majesty_" Mickey started mockingly once he recovered enough to stand, "I was just going to introduce myself."

"If you deserved an introduction to her, you would have been given one. Now, go sit your ugly ass down and wait until I am ready for you. Don't give me a reason to end you tonight...I grow weary of you."

With that said Mickey walked away and shoved the girl with him down into a chair at a table across the room while he glared at James.

Rolling her eyes Pam said "Master, can we not just end him? He is such a waste of immortality and is never anything but trouble."

"He is approaching his end Pam, be patient. He will undoubtedly do something to truly warrant his death soon." Eric answered as he sat next to me once again.

"Yes Master" Pam responded petulantly.

"Careful Pam or I may not allow you to participate when his time does come."

"Anyway," Eric continued "we will begin hearing the complaint in a moment; making them wait will unsettle the guilty party. Pam, please take Amelia to your office and return soon. Sookie, why don't we refresh your drink and move to the stage?"

"Sure, okay." I answered nervously as he helped me from my seat and Pam and Amelia made their way to the offices.

We stopped at the bar and got a blood and ginger ale, and then Eric escorted me to the stage and situated me in the large chair to the left of his throne. He held my hand and we sat quietly, observing the beings that remained in the bar for about five minutes before Pam returned and took her place just behind and to the right of Eric's throne.

Eric waited a few more minutes, allowing the human staff to leave for the evening before sitting up straighter, clearing his throat and commanding "James, Mickey, approach with the human in dispute."

James, Mickey, and the girl stood and began walking towards the stage, Mickey shoving the girl forward every few feet.

"Mickey, there is no need for that. Restrain yourself." Eric commanded then continued, "We are here tonight to hear testimony in regard to the dispute between James and Mickey and this human girl. You will all witness these proceedings."

After looking over all of the vampires in the bar Eric stated, "The woman to my left is Ms. Sookie Stackhouse, my bonded mate." He paused and then looked directly at Mickey as he continued, "For those of you who do not understand the implications of our relationship, let me explain it to you. Under penalty of death, she is not to be touched or approached in any way that is not altruistic. She is under the formal protection of my kingdom, thus all of you are sworn to see to her safety and comfort. She is mine and will be treated with the same respect afforded me. Is this understood?"

"Yes, your Majesty" the bar answered in unison.

"Let's continue then. James, you filed the complaint with Lieutenant Ravenscroft. State your case."

"Your Majesty, the human girl with Mickey, Elaina, is my human...was my human and we were quite happy. Last week Elaina left me, suddenly claiming that she hated me and was in love with Mickey. I let her go even though I detest him, believing briefly that this is what she really wanted. I tried to warn her about his well-known penchant for using and abusing humans and she responded saying only _'He's a gentleman and I love him' _without inflection_. _ I tried to reason with her and ask her why she left and she responded with the same exact phrase, in the same exact tone. She did so every time I spoke to her. I was trying to think of a way to prove that he took her against her will as a means to get to me as we have been feuding for decades. I woke Sunday evening, intending to report this to you and noticed that her scent was present and fresh throughout my home. I found her, stake in hand and a silver net in her waistband hiding in my kitchen. She refused to tell me why she was there, and once again when I tried to glamour her to see what she was thinking, she said tonelessly that Mickey was a gentleman and that she loved him. I took the stake and tossed her out of the house. I believe, your Majesty, that Mickey glamoured her to leave me, then did so again, suggesting that she attack me. I can think of no other reason for her behavior to have changed so dramatically so quickly."

"I see, thank you James. Mickey, what say you?"

"She's my human! She left him because he is an inferior vampire. There's nothing more to be said about it."

"I make the decisions here you piss ant. Do not posture as if you have any authority. And knowing you both personally, I can assure you that James is not the inferior vampire."

After staring down at Mickey for a moment he continued "Human...Elaina, what do you have to say about the situation? Who is your master?"

"Mickey is a gentleman and I love him." Elaina responded flatly.

"Who is your master? Who have you chosen?"

"Mickey is a gentleman and I love him." She responded flatly again.

"Well, it's quite obvious that her mind has been tampered with, inexpertly I might add. I would like to speak to Elaina alone in my office. Pam, bring the girl, Sookie, join us please. Guards, do not allow Mickey or James to move."

"Yes, your Majesty" the guards responded in unison, then I responded quietly "Certainly Eric" as we stood and began to make our way off of the stage and back to his office.

Once inside with the door shut, Eric sat behind his desk, looked to me and asked "What's going on in her head Sookie?"

"It's like her mind is stuck on a loop. That phrase is the only thing I hear. She has definitely been glamoured."

"Can you get past the glamour?"

"Um, possibly? I noticed today that my shields are stronger and easier to control and that I could hear farther with concentration, so maybe our exchanges have strengthened my ability. Here, let me give it a try." I answered, sitting next to Elaina and taking her hand.

I closed my eyes and concentrated intently on her mind. Mickey's planted phrase was like a wall built at the mouth of an alley, so I began looking for cracks in it, wrapping her thought with my talent until I was able to sink through it.

"Son of a bitch!" I exclaimed when I saw her real thoughts. "That bastard glamoured her to do and say all of those things, and he's been raping and beating her." I could feel Eric's rage building along with my own and furious tears fell from my eyes as I continued, "The marks are all under her clothes were they are hidden. She's a slave. He removes his control over her mind when he assaults her so that she's brutally aware of it. He tells her all the time that she will pay for James besting him since he can't beat him fairly! He glamoured her to try to kill James. She was aware of her actions but could not fight his suggestion. He was torturing her mentally as well as physically this way because she truly loves James."

I had seen and heard enough, so I began to back out, but rather than sinking back through Mickey's glamour, I wrapped it with my mind and squeezed it until it disappeared. As soon as I did, Elaina was back in her own mind and sobbing uncontrollably.

"Help me! Please, you have to help me! Where is James? I want James! "She cried pitifully.

"Calm down child, please. You will be reunited with James very soon. He is out in the bar awaiting my ruling on this matter. Do you remember anything about this night?" Eric asked gently.

"Yes, I remember everything; I just couldn't speak my mind or show emotion."

"Very well, you will remain here while I deal with Mickey. Pam, go retrieve a guard to stay with her while we are back in the bar. James will be sent back here shortly."

"Thank you sir" Elaina said meekly.

"What will his punishment be?" I asked Eric abruptly.

He looked intently at me and said "His fangs will be removed and he will be imprisoned in silver chains for a month without blood." Then he continued by thinking to me _"I do not mean to frighten you my love, but I must do this. This is as easy as I can be on him."_

"His tongue should be cut off too so that he can't glamour...Hell, the bastard deserves to have his dick ripped off and burned for what he's done to her." I said angrily.

"Do you wish this, lover? I agree that he deserves it. Perhaps it will help to teach him a lesson." _"You will not think less of me for being brutal?"_ He asked, sending to me mentally.

"Yes, losing his fangs seems too light a punishment for the severity of his crimes. I believe he needs more incentive to change his ways." I answered, then mouthed the words 'I love you' to him, hoping he'd understand that I was answering the thought he sent to me. Eric smiled in return thinking _"As I love you. Thank you, dear one."_

As soon as Pam reentered the office with a guard, the three of us headed back out to the bar and on to the stage.

"Guards, detain Mickey." Eric ordered as we sat down. "James, you will find Elaina in my office, free of this waste's glamour and control. She will need your comfort and support. You may go."

"If I may your majesty, could I know what punishment will be served to Mickey?"

"Of course, I think the punishment will be quite satisfactory to you. Mickey's fangs will be removed and he will also be imprisoned in silver chains for a month with no blood." Eric paused to turn his attention to Mickey before speaking again.

"Once his month punishment is up he will then, and here I quote my bonded… Have his dick ripped off and burned." At this Mickey's fangs ran down and he started struggling against the guards who held him.

Eric stood from the stage and towered over Mickey. "Mickey you will cease all struggling right now unless you want me to make it two months in silver. You have repeatedly gone against our rules for years now; you are lucky I don't stake you where you stand. Maybe this time you will learn your lesson and be more respectful of others in the future."

Raising his voice a little more he continued, "If I EVER have to deal with you again, no matter how small the infraction, I promise you now the punishment will be FINAL DEATH. Am I understood?"

Mickey finally understood how serious Eric was and lowered his head in submission and answered "Yes your majesty."

"Guards take him to the basement. Pamela you may remove his fangs and detain him in a cell, tied to a bed with silver chains. James please enjoy your time with Elaina, you may use my office for however long you need. If there any more problems don't hesitate to contact my lieutenant. If Elaina requires any treatment for her physical or mental health, send the bill to me and I will collect from Mickey. You are all dismissed."

James was gone at vampire speed and the rest of the vampires left the club. Eric then came and lifted me out of my seat and sat on his throne with me on his lap.

"You made me very proud tonight Sookie. You really are my perfect mate. Will you please spend the night at the palace again with me tonight?" Eric asked holding me tight and burrowing his face in my hair.

"Of course I will Eric. Can you take me home first to get some clean clothes?"

"No need my sweet. I had Pam go shopping this evening before you came and had her buy necessities for when you stay over, including some changes of clothing."

"Oh Eric that is so thoughtful of you. Thank you sweetie." I finished then kissed him deeply. After our kiss we just stayed seated enjoying each other's company until Pam and Amelia returned.

"Master if I am not needed for anything else this evening may I leave to go with Amelia to retrieve some fresh clothing so she can spend the night with me at the palace?"

"You may. We shall see you both there."

I got up and gave Amelia a hug and it was again just me and Eric. "Come my sweet, I heard James and Elaina leave 10 minutes ago. Let's lock up and go home."

"_Home" _I thought liking the sound of that and liking even more the fact that Eric had said 'home' as if it was my home too. We made our way outside, Eric locked up the building and then we made our way back to the palace in his corvette.

Other than the guards making their rounds, the palace was silent and still. Because of this, the growling sound my stomach made was easily heard even without vampire hearing. Eric chuckled and led me to the kitchen.

"Help yourself to whatever you like, my love. Chef would never forgive me if I didn't feed you when you are so obviously hungry."

"Eric, what is Chef's name? I don't think I've ever been told."

"Hmmm...That would be because he prefers to simply go by Chef. It is up to him to tell you his real name. See if you can get him to do so...but no cheating! Don't go into his head for it, but see if he reveals it to you. But don't get your hopes up, I don't believe anyone here but me knows what his name really is."

"But why does he keep it a secret?" I asked completely confused and curious.

"The answer to that would be part of his story." Eric answered with a chuckle.

"Neither one of them will tell me Sookie so don't get your hopes up." Pam said as she and Amelia joined us in the kitchen.

"Hey guys! Ames, are you as hungry as I am? What would you like?" I asked, hoping I'd have company as I ate.

"Ooh, look at this bread...why don't we make Panini's? There's some prosciutto and Havarti cheese, tomatoes and basil...yum!"

"Sounds good to me!" I replied laughing as my stomach let its opinion on the matter be known again.

The four of us spent a half hour in the kitchen, joking, laughing and cooking...well, Amelia and I cooked. It was so comfortable; not at all awkward and it had such a familial feeling that I hoped would never fade. Rather, I hoped it would only grow stronger with time.

We finished our sandwiches and cleaned up our mess, Amelia and I fighting our yawns. Eric noticed, of course, and suggested that it was time for us to retire to his chambers. Pam agreed, grabbing Amelia's hand and we all made our way to the back stairway.

"Pam?" Amelia asked. "You want me to stay the day with you?"

"Yes, of course I do. I trust you. Now let's go; we're burning moonlight!" Pam answered, raising a single eyebrow.

Laughing brightly as Eric scooped me up into his arms, I said "Goodnight ladies!" before he sped us down to the entrance to his private rooms for the day.

_**Please review. Your opinions and constructive criticism help us improve our writing and thus the story as well.**_


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